Boost Brain Health
Brain health is the ability to remember, learn, play and maintain an active mind. According to the American Heart Association, failing brain health is a public health epidemic that could be more serious than we think. Consider these statistics:
- The brain begins showing signs of cognitive decline as a person enters their 20s.
- 3 out of 5 Americans will develop a brain disease in their lifetime.
- By 2030, the total cost of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and stroke is expected to exceed $1 trillion.
The good news is, we can still develop and change our brains no matter how old we are!
Activities that are new and complex are good brain exercises. So, do something every day that challenges your brain.
- Try something you’ve never done before that you also find challenging. Take up a new sport or hobby. Learn a new language. Learn to play a musical instrument. Try juggling.
- Do something you already know how to do but do it in a different way — like eating, combing your hair or brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Or simply change up your daily routine occasionally.
- Try a daily memory activity. Test your recall by memorizing a grocery list. Draw a map from memory. Do math in your head.
When you attempt to do something you’re not used to doing, you create new neural pathways. The more neural pathways you have, the more resilient your brain is. You may have heard the term “neuroplasticity,” the brain’s ability to reorganize and rebuild itself by forming new neural connections. Studies have shown that learning to perform new and challenging activities can engage the brain’s natural plasticity to make positive changes. Even the adult brain can be reorganized depending on what new information it is learning.