An Active Mind is a Healthy Mind
Many recent research studies have focused on the rate of cognitive decline present in a people who regularly participate in mentally healthy activities versus those whose minds receive little stimulation. Mental exercise, achieved by regularly challenging the brain, has been linked in numerous reports to a delay in the onset or a possible reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia. People who maintain a high level of mental activity are believed to have a decreased risk of developing dementia, leading many experts to believe that maintaining mental sharpness may delay, or possibly prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Exercising your mind involves regularly introducing new activities and concepts outside of your normal routine to challenge the brain. Some examples of activities that can help strengthen the mind are:
- Read and write. Reading for comprehension of material to which you have never been exposed challenges the mind to learn and interpret new concepts. Select reading material that is difficult to understand or conceptualize. Writing forces the mind to put abstract ideas into a logical context, which can be mentally beneficial whether you are composing an e-mail, a short story or an autobiography.
- Play games. Playing games challenges the mind to strategize, persist and focus on a goal for a period of time, all healthy ways to keep the mind sharp. Participating in games with others can be both mentally challenging and contribute to healthy social interactions, another factor shown to promote a healthy mind.
- Be socially involved. Being involved with a network of friends and loved ones keeps your mind stimulated. Playing games, discussing intriguing topics and participating in other engaging activities in a social context can help keep your mind active and sharp.
- Solve puzzles. Puzzles challenge you to focus, think analytically and work toward a goal, all of which contribute to healthy mental function. Crossword and Sudoku puzzles are fun challenges that provide the opportunity to strengthen your mind during a commute or while waiting at the doctor’s office.
- Learn something new. More important than what activity you are doing is whether you are exposing your mind to a variety of new ideas. You may wish to try a new hobby, or challenge yourself to excel further in a current one. Learn a dance, try golf, create a birthday card for someone, learn to play a musical instrument, the new experiences that can boost your mental strength are endless.
Though it remains unclear whether the development of Alzheimer’s can be prevented or delayed in all cases, regularly engaging in stimulating mental activity is just one of the factors that has been linked to a decreased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.