No matter the stage we are in life, our brain needs to keep up! The brain requires even more of a workout as we age for brain longevity. Our brains won’t be “Forever Young” as Rod Stewart sings but will perform younger with proper care. While  exercise , clean  diets (with permission to cheat once in a while) are important for our brain health and  well-being, there are a multitude of activities to do for us to build and maintain our brain health.

In general, the decade of our 40s is when our brains start to reflect our lifestyle choices. So, if you haven’t exercised regularly, eaten healthy meals, and maintained reduced stress levels, your brain and body will be feeling it more in this stage of life. This time is also the stage of perimenopause for most women which can wreak havoc on memory and concentration due to decreased estrogen and progesterone levels that lead up to menopause. This is the time in your life to make sure you have a regular exercise routine, which  increases blood flow to your brain that supports cognitive functioning and that great mood feeling while packing your kitchen with brain supporting foods.

Regularly exercising your brain improves memory, focus, concentration, and daily functioning, which are so important as we enter each decade. Challenge yourself with something new such as a jig saw puzzle whether it is 100 pieces or 1000, it’s a challenging brain activity trying to look at different pieces and figure out where they fit into the big picture.  A simple puzzle requires a multitude of cognitive abilities that serve as a protective factor against visuospatial cognitive decline.

Throw in card games, sudoku, and simple to challenging crossword puzzles  that improve memory and thinking skills as well as building some greater brain volume in different areas of the brain. As well, start building up your vocabulary which stimulates other areas of the brain that are required for visual and auditory processing.

 Don’t forget life is about learning new things and  to reconnect to what feeds your soul too. Start that new hobby that you’ve been wanting to try forever. New hobbies challenge your brain and make you happy at the same time. Learning new skills are fun, challenging, interesting, and help strengthen connections in the brain. Now, there’s a reason to learn a new language, dance, software program, home repair skills and paddleboarding! Even more, teach the skills that you have learned, which further expand the learning process for it requires practice, teaching concepts, and teaching steps.

Other activities such as Tai Chi and Meditation also both benefit cognitive health keeping one balanced and grounded while reducing stress which increases clarity in thinking and thought processes.

The simplest brain exercise activities include changing up your routes to daily destinations whether it be work, gym, or your kid’s soccer practice can benefit your brain by changing your thinking. Another is being present and observant with the person you are interacting with. Focus and be in the moment with them. What are they saying and  wearing? What is their hair color and do they wear glasses? Come back to your mental notes  later on and see what you remember.

Your brain muscle is just as important as your arm muscle. By committing to exercising your brain each day, you will see an improvement in cognitive skills including concentration, memory, and mental agility, no matter how old you are!

HEALING HANDS ENERGY THERAPY - 100 Morris Ave, Boonton, NJ

PRACTICING ENERGY MEDICINE SINCE 2012, I AM A REIKI MASTER, CERTIFIED HEALING TOUCH PRACTITIONER, AND SOUND HEALER WITH A MASTER'S OF ARTS CERTIFICATION IN INTEGRATIVE HEALTH AND MEDICIN... Read More »