Online Health Tips Health Blog
No matter what age you are, everyone experiences incidents of forgetting about an occasion, someone’s name or where they last saw their glasses or keys. These incidents do tend to become more frequent as we age. This level of forgetfulness is normal and not usually a cause for concern.
On the other hand, serious cognitive decline or dementia, is not normal. These conditions can occur in later life because of damage or changes to brain cells. But even though the degeneration associated with dementia can completely change your life, there are ways to live healthy. One way is to move to healthcare centres that provide memory care services for seniors, and another includes availing in-home care from residential healthcare assistance. There are also assistive technology devices to use that can simplify different daily tasks, and seek help for you when you need it.
However, depleting memory power as you age does not mean that it is an unavoidable part of growing old. In fact, there are many things you can do now, no matter your age, to preserve your memory for the future.
Exercise your mind: When it comes to memory, you will probably have heard the term “use it, or lose it”. You should find things in life that you enjoy that exercise your mind. For example, reading or doing puzzles is a great way of keeping your mind active. However, there should be an element of challenge involved.
Exercise your body: Regular exercise is very important for a healthy body and a healthy mind. When you are active, your brain functions are given a boost, and this encourages the development of new brain cells. Regular physical activity also reduces your risk of suffering a condition that can lead to memory loss, like a stroke. Walking is one of the most effective exercises for reducing your risk developing memory loss.
Be social: It has been found that the more social you are as you age, the less likely you are to suffer from abnormal memory loss. This is because when you have a good social life, your mind is being kept active and challenges with listening, talking and body language.
Deal with stress: Have you noticed that when you are stressed out you find it very difficult to concentrate and to remember things? If stress occurs in the long-term, this can contribute to memory loss. Consider including some stress busting activities into your life, like exercise or meditation.
Eat well: Eating a healthy diet brings your body and mind many benefits, and improved memory is just one of them. Ensure you eat lots of antioxidant-rich ingredients like fruit and vegetables. These will help to keep your brain cells healthy. You may also wish to take supplements like B1 Vitamin, which is an effective memory enhancer. Do what you can to maintain your healthy weight, as being overweight can heighten your chances of memory deterioration.
Get plenty of sleep: If you don’t get enough sleep, your brain does not get a proper chance to process your memories and store them somewhere accessible. You probably are well aware that when you have a poor night’s sleep your memory and concentration are affected. In the long term, this can lead to memory loss.
If you include these components into your lifestyle, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing these problems in later life.
Thank you for reading.