Brain health refers to your brain's ability to maintain important functions, including motor skills, emotional regulation and cognitive performance. Although aging affects cognitive function, it's possible to preserve brain health with simple lifestyle changes. Sunrise Senior Living helps residents support their cognitive health by offering a variety of meaningful, engaging activities. Learn more about how to improve brain health with diet, activities, and other lifestyle habits.
Understanding Brain Health in Seniors
As you get older, you may notice some changes in your cognitive function. Memory loss, reduced attention span, and slower information processing are all common challenges for seniors. These mild changes are normal, but they can interfere with day-to-day activities. Taking preventive measures as early as possible can prevent cognitive functioning from worsening and ensure that you can continue finding purpose in retirement.
Engaging Brain Health Activities for Seniors
One of the best ways to ward off cognitive decline is to keep your brain active. The phrase "use it or lose it" easily applies to cognitive health, as using your brain helps maintain the connections between your brain cells. You may not be able to prevent cognitive changes completely, but you can use brain health activities to improve your attention span and memory.
Brain Games to Boost Cognitive Function
Brain games are fun and easy to access, making them some of the best brain health activities for seniors. You don't have to pay for an expensive membership or enroll in a class to reap the benefits of these games, either. Simply pick up a crossword puzzle book, play cards with a group of friends or try Sudoku.
- Crossword puzzles help with brain health by engaging your memory and cognitive recall abilities. Doing crosswords also improves your vocabulary and problem-solving skills.
- Some card games, including bridge and solitaire, require strategic thinking. Playing regularly also aids in memory retention, as you have to remember the aim of the game.
- Sudoku is all about number patterns, so it strengthens your ability to think logically. The more you play, the more likely you are to stay mentally agile.
Brain-Training Apps and Online Programs
Brain-training apps and online programs have exploded in popularity, making them extremely accessible to seniors. When you use these programs regularly, you have the opportunity to sharpen your mental skills. These are some of the most popular options:
- Lumosity: Lumosity has dozens of games designed to improve memory, attention and problem-solving skills. As you improve, the games become more difficult, making it easier to engage your brain.
- Peak: This mobile application has exercises designed to target different areas of brain function, including problem solving and focus. Peak acts as a personal trainer for your brain, giving you access to intense workouts that keep you motivated.
- BrainHQ: BrainHQ is designed specifically for seniors. The app is loaded with scientifically backed brain exercises, ensuring that you're using your time wisely.
Memory Exercises for Mental Agility
As you get older, it's common to become a bit forgetful. If you've been misplacing your keys or forgetting why you walked from one room into another, improve your brain health by performing memory exercises. Recall games, storytelling activities, and mnemonic devices can all help you improve your memory.
Recall games require you to remember names, faces, or sequences. For example, you may have to remember a sequence of four words. This trains your brain to retain information, making your memory better.
Storytelling allows you to recount your personal experiences, so it's a fun way to spend some time. It also requires you to recall details from your life, making it an effective memory exercise. For example, if you're telling your grandchildren about your honeymoon, you have to remember what you did while you were traveling.
Mnemonic devices help you remember information. For example, "King Paul cries out for good soup" is a popular mnemonic used to remember levels of classification in science. The first letter of each word corresponds to one of the levels (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species). It's much easier to remember the mnemonic than it is to remember the seven levels of classification, so mnemonic devices are helpful for recalling facts.
Group Activities to Foster Cognitive and Social Engagement
Social interaction is critical to good brain health, as socializing with other people helps you practice some important cognitive skills. For example, if you're telling a story, you have to recall facts from your life. Trivia games, book clubs, and board games are all fun activities that can help you stay sharp.
Trivia games require critical thinking and recall, making them ideal for strengthening your brain health. You also have to play with other people, enhancing social engagement.
Book clubs engage several areas of the brain, as you have to read the book before you can discuss it with other group members. The conversations you have also stimulate your memory and critical thinking, making book club meetings more of a brain exercise than a hobby.
Scrabble, chess, and other board games require strategic thinking, recall and other cognitive skills. Each game also combines cognitive function with social interaction, giving you an opportunity to strengthen your relationships.
Puzzles and Logic Challenges for Mental Sharpness
Word searches, jigsaw puzzles, and logic puzzles can also help you improve your mental sharpness, as they require a great deal of focus. You also have to think logically before making a move.
Word searches require visual recognition and word recall, while jigsaw puzzles rely on your spatial reasoning abilities. Doing a jigsaw puzzle also requires you to engage your problem-solving skills. Logic puzzles encourage you to apply analytical thinking, making them ideal for improving brain health. Grab a book of riddles or brain teasers if you want to enjoy these benefits.
The Role of Diet in Brain Health
"You are what you eat" applies just as much to your cognitive health as it does to your physical health. The best foods for brain health include leafy greens, fatty fish, berries, and nuts to help you maintain your cognitive function.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants also help seniors maintain their brain health. Antioxidants prevent cell damage caused by free radicals so they can help keep the cells in your brain in good condition. Reap the benefits of a healthy diet by snacking on nuts, adding berries to your morning oatmeal, enjoying salmon for dinner, or eating leafy greens as often as possible.
If you have dietary restrictions due to kidney disease, heart disease, or another chronic health condition, ask a registered dietitian to recommend safe foods for improving your brain health.
Supplements for Brain Health
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, preventing damage to the brain cells. Ginkgo biloba may protect the nerve cells damaged by some forms of dementia. Omega-3 fatty acids preserve the cells in the nervous system, which may protect against cognitive decline.
If you don't get enough of these substances in your diet, talk with a healthcare professional about using a supplement for brain health. Many people benefit from nutritional supplements, but there may be a reason you should avoid certain products. For example, people with epilepsy shouldn't take ginkgo biloba.
Lifestyle Habits That Promote Brain Health
Exercising and setting aside time for mental relaxation can both help you improve cognitive function. Scientists believe that physical exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, ensuring that the brain cells receive plenty of oxygen-rich blood. This may help prevent cognitive decline. The good news is that you don't have to run a marathon or lift weights every day to enjoy the cognitive benefits of physical activity. Walking, tai chi, and yoga can all help you boost your brain health.
Mindfulness meditation and other relaxation exercises relieve stress. Long-term stress affects brain function, so it has a negative impact on your cognitive abilities. Reducing stress has the opposite effect.
Social Engagement for Cognitive Wellness
Socializing stimulates your memory and improves your attention span, making it critical for maintaining good brain health. In contrast, isolation has a negative impact on cognition. You can stay socially engaged by joining clubs, attending community events, or connecting with family members and friends. Sunrise Senior Living even has resident-led initiatives to encourage social interaction and mental stimulation.
Creating a Brain Health Routine at Sunrise Senior Living
Sunrise Senior Living supports brain health with social activities, exercise programs, and resident-led initiatives. For example, we have puzzles, games, and group activities available to stimulate your memory and help you preserve your cognitive abilities.
We also offer personalized care plans to ensure that residents have access to cognitive exercises tailored to their unique needs. Team members receive specialized training to ensure they can recognize changing cognitive needs and provide ongoing support to every resident.
Learn more about Sunrise’s engaging activities and programming that help to promote brain health by finding a community near you and reaching out.