Boost Your Brain: An Essential Action for Vibrant Longevity
It’s never too late to try something new.
Research that involves what you can do to enhance, or at least maintain, cognitive abilities as you age will guide you toward specific actions for boosting your brain power.
The actionable step to remember, therefore, is “Boost Your Brain.”
To Boost Your Brain, engage in activities daily that actively use your brain in novel or complex ways. Activities that are brain boosting for you might include:
Taking a class at a local university or technical college
Learning a new language online or with a tutor
Practicing or learning how to play a musical instrument
Trying your hand at detailed model building
Woodworking such as cabinet making, intricate carving, or building musical instruments
Jewelry making like silversmithing, wire wrapping, or beading with intricate patterns
Drawing calligraphy or illuminated manuscripts (This may sound truly arcane, but my daughter, Anna, creates illuminated manuscript art! It’s a real thing!)
Folding complex origami
Learning a computer language or how to game
Researching your family history and keeping detailed records
Learning how to restore antique furniture, paintings, or other objects
And not to be left out, gardening, an activity we’ll revisit in Stay Active essential action posts.
Some brain boosting activities are just pure fun! How about:
Taking photographs and learning digital software for photography
Performing with a community theatre - it’s not too late to be a star!
Creative writing - poetry, short fiction, your personal memoir
Dance lessons or dance parties (my favorite!)
Quilting, sewing, embroidery - especially of complex patterns
Solving the NYT Crossword puzzle, Sudoku, Wordle, or Connections
Brain boosting activities can be fun!
Find a handful that you enjoy and practice them daily.
Nutrition and exercise also play a vital role in your brain health, but giving your brain a good work out with daily activities that are out or your normal routine (like brushing your teeth while holding your toothbrush in your non-dominant hand) or as Harvard Health suggests, that “require manual dexterity as well as mental effort” is essential.
Let’s talk about those brain boosting activities in another post soon. If you can name some activities fit that double-bill, let me know at editor@pouncepot.com. I’d love to hear from you!
In a Nutshell:
The research is urgent: use your brain or potentially lose it. If you can fill some of your days each week with activities that combine both manual dexterity and mental effort, that’s even better!
I’ll be sharing ideas on activities that can Boost Your Brain each week in our free newsletter The Pounce.
For an explanation of the Five Essential Actions to achieve vibrant longevity and active pro-aging, read here.
The Five Essential Actions are:
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