ageless aerobics

For my Senior Citizen counseling clients, brain training software is of interest. Most of us Boomers and Seniors have noticed the changes that come to our memory with our age, and are definitely interested in managing that change, so that it does not become any worse.

Some of my younger clients are curious about how brain training software might make them more effective in the job market, or at school.

And I am glad to share with them what I have learned about the emerging concept of brain fitness.

In fact, taking care of your brain’s fitness should happen prior to choosing brain training software.

You may ask why should I take care of my brain’s fitness, isn’t it always just there, working away to move my hand to the computer mouse, thinking, and monitoring?

Yes, your brain does do all that, and it has a couple of newly discovered capacities, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, which we can enhance by giving the brain what it needs to function best.

So the issue of brain fitness means taking care of the hardware of the brain first, then picking some brain training software to help out memory or I.Q., for example.

An excellent primer for brain fitness is the aptly titled e-book Brainfit for Life by Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D., neuroscientists at the University of Michigan who have culled the neuroscientific research for tips that we non-neuroscientists can use to make our brain more effective as it moves us through the events of our day and lives.

Evans and Burghardt write about what they call the pillars of brain fitness, which are physical activity/exercise, nutrition, including antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acid, getting good sleep, stress management, and novel learning experience, which is where a brain training software program might be helpful.

If we maximize our efforts at taking care of the pillars, then we maximize our neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.

Neurogenesis means that we grow new neurons every day, and neuroplasticity means that we form new connections between neurons sometimes within minutes of learning something new, and keeping those connections strong through increased challenge and positive feedback is the key to keeping the brain fit.

Once the Brain is Fit, Then Choose Brain Training Software

So after you have begun a regular exercise program, which will lead to better sleep, which is the time that our brain uses to consolidate memories, and you have increased your consumption of antioxidants and omega 3, and learned heart rate variability biofeedback for your stress management, then you are ready to tackle the novel learning experience pillar of brain fitness, which is where brain training software could prove useful.

Most of the experts who write about brain fitness say that the novel learning experience required to best enhance neuroplasticity and neurogenesis is the kind that we experience when learning a new language or a new musical instrument, because those endeavors expose us to increasing levels of complexity, and the regular practice gives us an opportunity to achieve appropriate levels of positive feedback.

Not sure about you, but even with retirement looming in my life, I do not have time to undertake a language or instrument regimen, so I will look for brain training software that has some research behind it to try out.

I really like three programs for brain training software. The first is based on the dual n back task, which Evans and Burghardt discuss. The next is the program put together by Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. which exercises the neurons in the Senior Citizen auditory circuit.

The program utilizing the dual n back task is addictive, and it will quickly teach you how fast your attention wanders, the Merzenich program really helps with word recall, and the online tool is a quick, easy to use, economical tool that I can boot up and use between clients or phone calls to get my brain a rest between stressful situations.

My guess is that once you find a program that you like, the use of brain training software will become a regular part of your day.

There are some significant side effects, like increased IQ and improved communication and relationships. If I can process auditory data more effectively, I become a more confident listener, which is a key piece in relationships, far more important than speaking actually.

So my suggestion is that you start with the pillars of brain fitness, and then find brain training software. I know that research driven by Boomers is going to keep improvements coming so keep your ears to the ground for more.

Technorati Tags: brain, Software, training

What Is The “Easy As 1-2-3″ Anti-Aging Program?

Are you tired of this doctor’s comment – “That’s what happens when (that part) of your body ages.” Medical professionals have years of training and education and that’s the best they can come up with?

This oft-heard comment led the author to find ways to address the effects of aging for baby boomers. The anti-aging program described in this article is the result of several years of research to try to feel better in spite of facing primary and secondary aging factors.

The program consists of these components as follows:

1  Brain Health

2  Physical Fitness

3  Sound Nutrition

One Of The Most Irritating Old Age Symptoms

Almost forgot – it’s CRS (Can’t Remember Stuff). When you start experiencing “senior moments,” it’s time to take action – quickly.

 That being written, the first component of the anti-aging program, Brain Health, is the focal point of the program. After all, if your body is in great physical condition, but you don’t recognize your family members, there is an issue!

Neurobics Or Brainercise

Neurobics are brain exercises to develop mental acuity and stave off cognitive issues like dementia and Alzeimer’s disease. Neurobics may help stop memory loss.

Not only is brainercise painless, the exercises are short in duration. Five minutes per day is enough time to start developing new brain pathways and improving cognitive functioning.

An example of a typical brainercise is a crossword puzzle or a math “word problem.” You remember (maybe) –

 If oranges are on sale for 80 cents per pound, how much will you pay for 3 pounds of oranges? (Most people would multiply 80 X 3 to get $2.40, but feel free to do something else like 80 + 80 + 80 cents).

The Other Two Components?

Physical Fitness and Sound Nutrition, the two remaining components, complement Brain Health. Your brain will certainly appreciate the increased oxygen flow from an aerobics routine as well as the correct dose of folic acid from your food or supplements.

More details on these two components can be found below.

Click http://squidoo.com/anti-aging-program for more information about the “Easy As 1-2-3″ Anti-Aging Program.

Stop Memory Loss contains a description of proven ways to address issues such as mild cognitive impairment.

Technorati Tags: AntiAging, baby, boomers, brain, Health, Priority, program, Reveals

Being active is healthy as far as the brain is concerned so as you grow older keeping your brain sharp is all a part of living a better life and aging well. Continued learning and healthy eating are activities which challenge your brain and help you to stay at your peak. Managing to finish (or in some cases even attempting to start) a daily crossword puzzle along with learning a hobby or studying a new language provides the form of a continued workout for the brain.

Taking part in activities which require you to think on your feet, evaluate information and come to quick and accurate conclusions will be a great help in keeping your brain healthy as you grow older. You will no doubt discover that some days this takes a little more effort than it did before, but if you carry on stretching your brain muscles your memory will be as good as your cognitive skills.

If you have an interest in maintaining the health of your brain as you approach old age and want your mind to continue to be sharp, then here are some facts you should be aware of.

When you reach your sixties, brain masses shrink a little, some areas more than others such as the frontal lobe, for example. This is the area of the brain which copes with mental abilities and it is also where your memories are stored. Thinning of the brain in the cortex area and a diminishing of white matter are some of the reasons why disorders of the brain occur in the aged. Changes in these areas in particular cause the cognitive processing of decision making and problem solving to slow down and attention span is usually reduced. These will all fade you as you get older, unless of course you follow the advice above and carry on with regular exercise of these areas by creating new memories and taking in new information.

Having said that, aging is not a decline of brain activity. The brain itself grows sharper and stronger the more you use it. For instance, if in your younger days you were an avid reader of books and you continue reading into your old age, you are likely to increase your reading speed and the amount of information you actually take in, because practice really does make perfect. The majority of our abilities improve with time, especially wisdom and skills to help us sort problems. It is worth remembering that other ailments and sicknesses can contribute to a decline in the normal activities of the brain as well.

Something as straightforward as more formal education can stimulate the brain and can even make the brain cell networks stronger in warding off mental function damage. Another thing which has always been known to have positive benefits on the brain and its functioning is physical activity, aerobics for example. This is the best way to get a free flow of oxygen to the brain and definitely helps the brain to work better. Quite simply having the knowledge that what you do makes a difference to your life and believing that you are making a valid contribution to your good health is sometimes the greatest part of allowing your brain to remain active.

You can slow down the parts of the brain prone to degeneration as you get older by making a concerted effort to pay more attention to everything, and to learn and have to focus on new things. Take is steady, stay organized and this way you will be able to concentrate on the tasks you are setting for yourself. Try to remain as stress free as you can so as to avoid the tension which is associated with certain types of lapses of memory. Practice repetition – this is an all time favorite. You will find that those senior moments you have from time to time can be turned into senior memories to be cherished if you carry on exercising your brain on a regular basis. Do whatever it takes to take care of your mental agility and you are sure to be a happy person as you become old aged. When you take a look at others they are either depressed or extremely happy. Make sure you do everything you can to ensure that you are in the latter category.

Technorati Tags: brain, Healthy, Keep, Older

An active mind is a healthy mind, so keeping your mind sharp is a good portion of aging well and living a better life as you grow older. If you continue to challenge and engage your brain with activities such as continued learning and healthy dieting you can maintain your healthy brain. Some activities like completing daily crossword puzzles or learning a hobby, or maybe exploring a new language will add content and continued exercise of the brain. Expanding your horizons daily and engaging in activities that require you to think on your feet and assess information quickly and accurately will make a world of difference as you grow older. Sometimes it may take a little more effort than it used to require, but continuing to stretch your brain muscles will definitely pay off in good memory and cognitive skills.

If you are interested in maintaining brain health in the later years of life and continuing to keep your mind sharp, then listen up. Brain masses shrink a little as you get into your sixties, with some areas shrinking more than others like the frontal lobe which is the area of the brain that handles mental abilities, and the hippocampus where memories are formed. Thinning of the brain in the area of the cortex, and decreases in white matter are some reasons why brain disorders occur in the elderly. Changes in these areas are what slow down the cognitive processing which handle decision making, problem solving, and attention. All of which have a tendency to fade as you grow older, unless…you continue to exercise these areas by forming new memories daily and allowing for a good intake of new information. With this said, aging is not a decline of brain activity. In fact the brain grows stronger and sharper as long as you continue to use it. For example; if you were an avid reader in your younger years and you continue to be a voracious reader into your golden years the rate of speed that you read and the amount of information that you are able to process as you read will increase as in “practice makes perfect,” you are actually getting better with time. Most of our abilities normally get better with time, including wisdom and problem solving skills. Keep in mind that other illnesses and ailments may contribute to any decline in the normal activity in the brain.

Simple things, like more formal education, can contribute to intellectual stimulation of the brain and may ever strengthen the brain cell networks to help in preventing mental function damage. Physical activity has always been know to have positive effects on the brain and brain functioning. Getting into an aerobic regime is the best for continued brain health as oxygen is free flowing and throughout the body and is particularly beneficial to the brains proper functioning. Having a good sense of self and knowing that the things that you do in life make a difference and believing that you are contributing to the common good has shown to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.

So to slow down the effects of the degenerative parts of the brain it would be wise to learn to concentrate and make an honest effort to pay attention. Stay organized and don’t rush, so that you are able to focus on the tasks that you are attempting. The all time favorite is repetition. Also, try your best to stay as stress free as possible as tension causes some types of memory lapses. Those senior moments can turn into senior memories if you continue to exercise your brain. So do whatever it takes to preserve your mental agility, and keep happy even as you enter your older years. When you look at the attitudes of older people, you see either depressed people, or extremely happy and satisfied people. Try to leave yourself in the latter category.

Technorati Tags: brain, Healthy, Keeping

Your stress management program is an inside job. In other words, stress is a physiology that exists inside my body. Most of us have learned to link the external world to our physiology, by blaming the outside for the inside.

(For example, I will not have stress when I earn more money. That is not necessarily true).

In order to manage that physiology I am going to have to manage my inside chemistry, which is linked to my perceptions, what I think, how I breathe, my heart rate variability coherence, how I eat…any number of variables.

When I am advocating a stress management plan to my clients, I like to use the brain fitness model, which is based on enhancing the recently discovered capacity of the human brain to grow more neurons.

That capacity is called neurogenesis, and neurogenesis is hampered if not stopped by an exposure to stress hormones, according to Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D., authors of the excellent book Brainfit for Life. Evans and Burghardt talk in clear language about the necessary steps to enhancing neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to form new connections subsequent to learning new information, sometimes within minutes.

And Evans and Burghardt emphasize the need to review that new information so your brain solidifies the new circuits and keeps them.

The brain is a big user of energy, and the brain is very efficient at eliminating unnecessary circuits in order to conserve energy.

But back to the plan to enhance neurogenesis by following a brain fitness program.

The Pillars of Brain Fitness and Your Stress Management Program

We know by now that the reward for following a lifestyle based on attending to the four pillars of brain fitness is a bigger brain through neurogenesis, and I lean to the side of the discussion that says a bigger brain is a good thing.

So what are the pillars of brain fitness?

They are physical exercise, nutrition including lots of omega 3 fatty acid and antioxidants, good sleep, stress management (!), and novel learning experiences.

Physical Exercise and Your Stress Management Plan

Evans and Burghardt go into great detail about how physical exercise is the most important brain fitness pillar.

And there is good news for you if you think that you will be required to throw around heavy barbells and buy expensive gym memberships just to have new neurons. After all, how important can new brain growth be?

Well, actually the physical activity required for your stress management program and your brain fitness is exercise of the deep breathing kind, and if you are walking around the block, walk a little faster for a little longer to signal your brain that your are serious about the growth of new neurons.

Nutritional Pillar of Your Stress Management As you might expect, nutrition is very important to both your stress management program and your brain fitness. It is imperative that you quit eating processed food. No way around it, you need the phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, ect. from real food, not food that is designed to outlast the effects of a nuclear war.

Your brain uses about 20% of the fuel you burn daily, so there are a lot of chemical reactions in your head, all of which can release free radicals, which cause the aging process.

Antioxidants sop up those free radicals for you, so eat a lot of fruit and vegetables to keep antioxidants available.

Omega 3 fatty acid is important to your stress management and brain fitness because your neurons are about 70% omega 3 fatty acid and if that supply of fatty acid is not replenished, those neurons get brittle and do not effectively communicate.

Garbled chat between neurons is not good. The best source of omega 3 fatty acid is fish, or you can supplement.

Stress Reduction By Heart Rate Variability?

I have been a user and teacher of heart rate variability biofeedback, now called emWave, for about ten years. I love it. Regular practice has given me the ability to manage the inside of my body heart beat by heart beat when I choose to pay attention to the brain in my heart.

What I mean by that is there are still times when I choose to stress myself unnecessarily, and even to keep that distress when I could have the heart rate variability biofeedback eustress. Progress not perfection.

But I was really amazed to see the endorsement of this biofeedback tool by Alvaro Fernandez, who is the author of the SharpBrains blog which tracks all things brain fitness.

So if you want to explore a heart beat by heart beat stress management plan, then then by all means try out heart rate variability biofeedback.

What Can Possibly Be Stress Reducing About Novel Learning Experiences?

Novel learning experience is important for bringing those new neurons into existing circuits, where they can begin to help out building cognitive reserve, which is very important if your brain happens to be one of the Baby Boomer brains, or really important if your brain is a Senior brain.

Novel learning experience is usually catagorized for our brain fitness purposes as the kind of learning that happens when you learn a new language or a new instrument.

If you are like me, you do not have time to put into a language or instrument, so using one of the newly minted computerized brain fitness programs could be beneficial.

Can you imagine yourself following a stress management program based on the four pillars of brain fitness?

I can. I will take relaxation and a bigger brain as an worthy endgame.

Technorati Tags: brain, Fitness, management, program, stress

Copyright (c) 2009 SharpBrains

There are dozens of environmental awards, but none like the Goldman Prize, which just celebrated its 20th birthday. I had the fortune to attend its most recent Award ceremony, which featured interventions by Al Gore, Tracy Chapman, Robert Redford, and the founder of the awards 20 years ago, Richard Goldman, and was impressed about the stories of seven grassroots pioneers.

The BBC recently published an Op-Ed by Mr. Goldman on the story behind the Awards themselves: article Here. He explains how…

- “One morning in 1989, as I sat with my daily breakfast and newspaper, I read about the most recent Nobel laureates and wondered if there was a comparable award for environmental work. We asked a staff member at our foundation to do some research and he found that nothing yet existed to recognise environmental work on an international stage, thus the Goldman Prize was born. Our choice to focus specifically on grassroots environmental leaders was unique at the time.”

Mr. Goldman, and the seven winners, are clearly helping improve the state of the world.

Now, the “state of the world” does include their very own brains – a recent study showed how volunteering can provide health benefits – both physical and cognitive. From a recent article in Medical News:

- “She and her colleagues found that EC volunteers showed greater improvements in memory and executive function than those who did not participate in the program. Both studies highlighted above show that everyday activity interventions (e.g., EC) can appeal to older adults’ desires to remain socially engaged and productive in their post-retirement years. These activities can bring -at the same time!- clear physical and mental benefits.”

And those benefits do not accrue only for older adults, but may help all of us gradually build our Cognitive Reserve through the added novelty, variety and challenge.

Talk about win/ win!

So the question becomes, “How do I build a Cognitive Reserve?”

Emerging research since the 90s from the past decade shows that individuals who lead mentally stimulating lives, through their education, their jobs, and also their hobbies, build a “Cognitive Reserve” in their brains.

Stimulating the brain can literally generate new neurons and strengthen their connections which results in better brain performance and in having a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s symptoms. Studies suggest that people who exercise their mental muscles throughout their lives have a 35-40% less risk of manifesting Alzheimer’s.

Further, better brain scanning techniques are allowing scientists to investigate healthy live brains for the first time in history. Two of the most important findings from this research are that our brains are plastic (meaning they not only create new neurons but also can change their structure) throughout a lifetime and that frontal lobes are the most plastic area. Frontal lobes, the part of our brains right behind the forehead, controls “executive functions” — which determine our ability to pay attention, plan for the future and direct behavior toward achieving goals. They are very important to learn new realities. We offer them the best exercise by learning completely new things, by mastering new tasks.

That brain region is particularly vulnerable: our frontal lobes wait until our mid to late 20s to fully mature. They are also the first part of our brain to start to decline, usually by middle age.

Not enough young and middle-aged people are benefiting from this emerging research, since it has been perceived as something “for seniors.Of course, we need more research. But, this does not mean we cannot start caring for our brains today.

What are some options to work on our frontal lobes? We can summarize recommendations by focusing on the four main pillars of brain health: physical exercise, a balanced diet, stress management, and brain exercise.

Is there an easy way to hit several of these pillars at the same time? Well, what about volunteering for a cause you truly care about?

Ashoka, an innovative non-profit organization, best summarizes it by saying “Everyone a Changemaker”. I’d add… “Everyone a Changemaker of his or her Brain.”

Technorati Tags: brain, Changemaker, Everyone, Fitness, Improve, programs, Volunteer

Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

The World Economic Forum asked me to write “an 800 words summary of your most compelling actionable idea on the challenges of aging and gerontology”, in preparation for the Inaugural Summit of the Global Agenda taking place November 7 to 9th in Dubai.

Here you have my proposal to create a Global Consortium for Brain Fitness and Training Innovation and help ensure that “No Brain is Left Behind”:

I. The Context

- Growing Demands on Our Brains: Picture 6.7 billion Primitive Brains inhabiting a Knowledge Society where lifelong learning and mastering constant change in complex environments are critical for productive work, health and personal fulfillment.

Welcome to Planet Earth, 2008.

- Further stretched by increased longevity: Now picture close to 1 billion of those brains over the age of 60 – and please remember that, less than 100 years ago, life expectancy was between 30 to 40 years. The rapidly evolving Knowledge Society is placing new and enormous demands on our “primitive” human brains. And the longer our lifespans, the more obvious the “cognitive gap”. Hence, from a health point of view, the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and its precursor Mild Cognitive Impairment. And, from a workplace point of view, the perception that older workers can’t learn new tricks, and are to be substituted by younger employees as soon as practical.

- Significance of lifelong neuroplasticity: The good news is that substantive brain research is showing how our brains retain lifelong neuroplasticity (the ability of our brains to rewire themselves responding to experience), how they can physically be strengthened -via the Cognitive/ Brain Reserve- and its functions enhanced, opening the way to slow-down if not reverse the cognitive decline that often comes with age. Use it and Improve It may be more accurate than Use It or Lose It, and help close the growing cognitive gap. Humans can become the gardeners of our own brains by focusing on four pillars: a balanced diet, cardiovascular physical exercise, stress management and brain exercise that incorporates well-directed novelty, variety and challenge.

- Cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology are ready to step up: a growing number of research-based frameworks and applications present clear mainstream opportunities, yet they are often misunderstood, since they are presented in fragmentary and confusing ways. Think about the potential for having an annual “mental check-up” that helps set up a baseline and identify appropriate interventions. Think about being able to pinpoint specific needs and enhance, in non-invasive ways, specific neurocognitive functions, such as visual and auditory processing speed, working memory, executive functions, emotional self-regulation, attention.

II. The Problem

- We need bridges: There seems to be multiple areas of disconnect between gerontology, preventive healthcare overall, cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. Innovative and collaborative partnerships will be required to transform the growing amount of mainstream interest and research findings into a rational, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approach to neurocognitive fitness.

- Growing confusion among consumers and professionals: there are no “magic pills” or “general solutions”, but very useful tools when used appropriately. Better assessments, taxonomies and integrated research efforts are required for the field to mature. Some brain functions tend to improve as we age, whereas some tend to decline. For example, as executives tackle many difficult situations over time, we grow an “intuition” (or crystallized pattern-recognition) for best approaches. As long as the environment does not change too rapidly, we can continue to accumulate wisdom. But some areas of mental functioning typically decline. We usually see this in areas that test our capacity to learn and adapt to new environments, such as effortful problem-solving in novel situations, processing speed, working memory, and attention. Research has shown that all these areas can be enhanced in older brains. But the priorities are not the same for all individuals, or for all objectives (safer driving, preventing Alzheimer’s symptoms, improving memory…) In summary, the field holds much promise, but the picture is complicated.

III. The Opportunity

- A Global Consortium for Brain Fitness and Training Innovation composed of 100 leading universities, policy-makers, healthcare/ insurance providers and developers of technology-based neurocognitive assessments and training tools can provide the taxonomy, guidance and structure required to guide applications of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology in gerontology and geriatrics -and healthcare overall.

- A transparent online presence could facilitate the engagement of professionals and the public at large. Especially, yes, of brains over 60.

- Outcomes:

1) Best practices: to share best practices in preventive brain health education, seniors housing, hospital-based programs, insurance-led initiatives, public policy efforts.

2) Standards: to define standards for neurocognitive assessments and training tools,

3) Taxonomy: to establish a common taxonomy and language,

4) Education: to engage professionals and the public at large in well-informed “brain maintenance”,

5) Policy readiness: to anticipate policy implications and improve readiness,

6) Research path: to propose a research and applications path.

Technorati Tags: brain, Consortium, Fitness, Global, Innovation, Need, training

The brain fitness gym has been serving the St. Louis area since 2006. Currently, it is the only organization of its kind in the United States, but you can use the gym’s self-coaching techniques anywhere in the world.

As time goes by, we may see more and more similar organizations, simply because of the growing number of seniors. We have the baby boomers to thank for that.

Those of us who have spent time doing marketing or sales have been told for the last 20 years that we needed to make plans for the boomers to turn 60. Now, many of them have, but the boom will continue for almost two more decades.

The brain fitness gym is a great service for seniors. They hold events and offer free evaluations and memory screenings, if you live in the St. Louis area. If not, you can still take advantage of their information and their exercise packages.

The “self-coach” package includes software to help you improve your memory and response time, as well as awareness and eye-hand coordination. A complete manual for self-assessment and daily life applications is also included.

There program is one of the better ones on the market, as it includes many personalized options for a price that is competitive with other software programs, such as Posit Science’s “cognitive behavioral training”.

You see the brain fitness gym designs programs with the assumption that you have already lost some of your cognitive abilities. They assume that you are suffering from memory loss, early Alzheimer’s or another problem that may accompany aging. For those of us that are simply trying to prevent this from occurring, there are other, less expensive options.

Ask yourself these questions. Are you physically active? Do you get enough essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and antioxidants on a daily basis? How’s your diet? Do you eat enough raw fruits and vegetables? The recommended daily number of servings is five.

Do you make an effort to keep in touch with friends and/or family members? Maintaining social contact is important for cognizance, memory and to fight depression.

Are you learning something new? Researchers have shown that people who do not regularly play video games have improved memory and cognitive performance when they learn a new game.

At the brain fitness gym, they include similar activities, since many seniors were not a part of the video game “boom”. But, and this is important, the effects seen in clinical research may simply be due to the “newness” of the activity or the learning that is required.

In other words, if you don’t like video games or if you already play them, the answer may simply be learning something new. Take a class or read a book. Join a discussion group or do some volunteer work.

Practically anything that keeps your mind “active” will improve the function of your “gray matter”. The brain fitness gym is an option that you may want to consider. It’s just that there may be other options. The most important thing is to find something that you can enjoy, for life.

Technorati Tags: brain, Development, Fitness, Mightier, Mind

Some people believe that declining loss of brain function is normal in old age.Brain fitness is important to people of all ages.The fact is that mental decline is not inevitable. There are actually steps you can take to reverse and improve your mental faculties. Exercising our brain especially as we age goes hand-in-hand with physical fitness to keep us healthy and fit. Memory loss, lack of mental focus, and senility, are conditions that can be improved or eliminated.

Physical Exercise

Getting oxygen to the brain by exercising the body is an important benefit. It  helps to increase brain function which obviously helps  to keep the  body functioning well. A combination of physical exercise and brain exercises can be of great benefit.

Mental  Exercise

Engaging in different challenging activities such  as playing chess, working cross-word puzzles, etc. Even people who have a tendency for Alzheimer’s or Dementia can reduce the effects of these diseases by mentally challenging themselves on a regular basis.

Nutrition

Factors that affect the body also affect the brain. Nutrition is another important factor in mental health as well as physical health. Eating well obviously affects the functioning of your brain. You can’t separate the mind from the body.

Sleep

Lack of sleep diminishes brain functions such as memory. The brain needs adequate sleep in order to function at its best. It’s important to make the proper amount of sleep for you a priority.

Learning

Novel Learning experiences help to improve and maintain cognitive ability. Keeping the brain active  is an important part of any fitness program. Exercising your brain is often overlooked. Learning new things should be a lifelong endeavor.

The Challenge

Engaging in both physical and  mental execises should be everyones fitness goal. Adding good nutrition and sleep completes this goal. Challenging your brain on a regular basis can help you to improve or maintain you brain fitness.

Technorati Tags: brain, Fitness, Keep, Mind, Senior, Sharp

It turns out that brain fitness exercises work in at least three ways, depending on the kind of exercise we are doing, a thinking exercise or a physical exercise, or a computerized training.

Exercize could mean running or lifting weights or practicing one of the new brain exercise programs or monitoring and changing cognitions, which is what Dr. Judith Beck has shown to be effective in her diet solution plan.

The physical exercise of running or lifting weights encourages neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

The cognitive behavioral exerises that Dr. Beck used have been shown to reduce activation in the fear center of the brain, called the amydala.

Her work was done using fMRI or functional magetic resonance imaging to observe differing levels of activation in folks suffering from a spider phobia.

The activation in the amygdala after a regimen of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT was much reduced.

In other words, folks did not experience as intense a fear response to spiders as they had prior to the CBT training

The computerized brain fitness programs have been shown, depending on which research you are looking at,to improve memory and processing speed in Senior Citizens (IMPACT study) and IQ in folks using a different program.

Another program has been endorsed by educators, and another adopted by a major university basketball team, with their team in the NCAA final four last year.

The work of Buschkall and Jaegge using the dual n back task has indicated that IQ can be improved, and that there may be no upper limit to what can be done in that regard. More training increases your scores.

Of course, high IQ does not translate into fame and fortune, or even successful relationships. Just a cautionary note for the needy.

Physical exercise has an excellent positive impact on the brain.

Since the brain is the organ which needs the most food and blood, any exercise which increases blood flow will have a positive impact on the brain.

Recently I read that exercise is the best antidote that exists to the issue of insulin resistance, a precursor of diabetes.

That is just one of a plethora of benefits that lifting weights or running or walking will have on your brain.

Just to remind everyone that the current recommendations state that you either engage in: a) 30 minutes/day of moderate intensity 5 or more days of the week; or b) 30 minutes per day of high intensity interval training for at least three days of the week.

A general guideling that people can adhere to is that moderate exercise can get you breathing heavy enough that you can still talk but not sing. High intensity would make a conversation a little difficult.

I have been trying out some HIIT workouts at home, using home made tools, except for an exercise ball, and they do make you breathless, but are not complicated. If you can walk up and down stairs, do push-ups, and or crunches, or walk in your neighborhood, you will be able to take advantage of the benefits of physical exercise, including increased neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

Hopefully you are encouraged to work at whatever level you are comfortable with in order to benefit your brain with physical exercise or cognitive exercise or computerized brain fitness exercises.

Technorati Tags: brain, Discover, Exercizes, Fitness, Work