Maintaining Your Mental Agility into Old Age

While it is true that old is gold, it is also a fact that old age comes with several challenges. Being forgetful and losing focus are some of them. Forgetting where you placed your car key and low mental agility becomes normal for most seniors. Scientific research has proved that the functionality of your brain changes as you get older. It is believed that certain nerves in your brain may shrink or disconnect from other nerve cells. Besides, the flow of blood into your brain also slows down as you age.

What can seniors do to maintain mental agility into old age? Below are tips for seniors on how to stay focused and get stuff done.

1. Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels

High blood pressure and cholesterol are common problems among many seniors. These two conditions increase the risk of stroke and heart diseases. It is therefore important to ensure that you are regularly checked to determine your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

As a senior, you should strive to have healthy blood sugar, controlled blood pressure, and balanced cholesterol levels. In addition, you should be physically active, avoid smoking, and maintain a nutritious and balanced diet.

The best way to accomplish most of these things is to be in touch with a medical practitioner – for advice and follow up.

2. Regular exercise

The importance of exercise for healthy living cannot be overemphasized. Exercising regularly has the effect of increasing blood flow to your brain hence reducing the risk of conditions such as dementia – that are caused by high blood pressure.

According to a study done in 2015 by Annals of Medicine, seniors who exercised regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia compared to those who didn’t.

Starting and maintaining a consistent exercise schedule is not easy. The best way is to start small or get a workout partner.

3. Stimulate your brain

For your brain to remain active and functional, you need to keep it engaged with different activities.

A study done by Alzheimer’s Association found out that mentally stimulating activities help in building a cognitive reserve.

There are various ways through which you can stimulate your brain. One of them is by learning new skills. For example, by learning a new skill or language, you challenge your brain – hence making it active.

4. Socialize more

Loneliness is one of the major risks faced by many seniors. Being isolated for days or weeks at a time can easily drive you into depressions and high blood pressure. As a senior, it is important to surround yourself with people as much as possible.

According to a study conducted in China in 2018, it was found that seniors who largely engaged in social interactions had a lower risk of suffering from dementia and other age-related diseases compared to those who didn’t.

Get involved with your grandchildren. For example, you can try and complete a puzzle or play interesting games with them.

5. Focus on nutrition

Proper nutrition is important when it comes to maintaining your mental agility into old age. You should try to maintain a diet full of antioxidants.

Vegetables and fresh fruits are important because they provide to the brain what other parts of the body system cannot.

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