How To Protect Our Aging Brains?

Protect Our Aging BrainsWard Off The Cognitive Decline!

These days people are beginning to live longer and healthier lives and it’s all because of having a higher functioning cognition. It’s important to protect our aging brains the older and older we get, but for some of us we don’t really know how to do so? There are certain reasons as to why many can experience a cognitive decline whether it be genetics, your lifestyle or anything else. Luckily though, it can be under your control to protect your cognitive ability at a young age to avoid any neurological disabilities. Keep reading on to find out more about taking care of your brain!

Recently, a new report from the Institute of Medicine examined how aging can affect attention, thinking and decision-making. Also, it recommended the important steps you should take to reduce your risk for cognitive decline, and suggests that being productive now will pay off in the future. Although, these day’s many researchers and experts are finding out new and improved ways about your brains, it’s still important to keep up specific practices and exercises to protect our aging brains. For some people though, your cognitive abilities won’t be as affected as some others. Make sure to keep in contact with your doctor about the health of your brain.

What Are Ways To Protect Our Brains?

As already mentioned, we know that aging, in terms of the brain, can be affected by genetic factors, lifestyle, and environmental factors. For some people they can age with relatively little cognitive decline, and with other people it seems much more marked. This is why it is important to protect our aging brains. If you add these simple steps into your daily routine, you’ll have no problem with your brain health has you get older.

  • Stay Physically Active. Studies have shown a direct correlation between exercise and healthy cognitive functioning. More than 19,000 adults where in a study published in 2013 in Annals of Internal Medicine and found middle aged adults who were in good physical shape were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia when they reached age 65 than those who did not exercise on a routine basis.
  • Take Control Of Your Cardiovascular Health. Health risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking impact an aging brain. On study done in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences followed 3,147 pairs of twin for more than three decades and found a clear link between cardiovascular fitness in early adulthood and increased intelligence, better performance on cognitive tests and higher educational achievement later in life.
  • Check Your Medications. There are a number of medications that can impact your cognitive function, both in the long and short term. There are some antidepressants and anti-psychotic medications that can impact cognition. Even some over the counter medications can do the same.
  • Stay Socially And Intellectually Active. Hobbies and quality time with family and friends all keep the brain active. Another study was conducted found people who engaged in artistic hobbies such as painting, drawing, or sculpture in both middle and old age were 73 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment that those who didn’t.
  • Get Adequate Sleep. You’ve probably heard it over and over again, its important to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Research has shown that getting enough sleep is a cornerstone of good health. Many sleep disorders have been linked to higher risk for dementia.