- By Nicole Sandefur, Activities Assistant -
You may have heard the buzz in the news and media about "increasing your brain age". Simply stated, "brain age" is described as your brain's capability to retrieve, store, and produce information. This includes, but is not limited to: long-term memory stores, short-term memory stores, reaction time, computing math, reading complex words, and memorizing sequences. As we age physically, we also age mentally. The purpose of "brain age" games is to help delay the aging of the brain.
The importance of keeping your brain active throughout your life is just as important as being physically active and eating healthy. In fact, studies have shown that seniors who continuously engage their brain with activities are less likely to develop symptoms of dementia (by a whopping 60%!), demonstrate better balance and gait, and have a sense of confidence that they otherwise might not have had.
Did you know...The human brain can re-wire itself and can grow new neurons
no matter how old the person is! This means that it's NOT TOO LATE!
Brain age games are everywhere...even here at UVTO! Many of our card games and activities such as Scrabble require quite a lot of brain activity! Why not learn a new game this month? You'll make new friends, improve your mental health, and have fun, too! Other common brain age games include: crossword puzzles, Sudoku, chess, and Bingo (helps hand-eye coordination). Surprisingly, physical activity (dancing, walking, swimming, exercise classes) also helps the receptors in the brain and in turn can improve your brain age...plus, it's good for your cardiovascular health! Overall, remember that learning a new skill or activity
will be challenging, but stick with it!
Test yourself...
The next time you brush your teeth, try using the hand that you normally do not use. Notice a difference? You probably feel uncoordinated and awkward...but DON'T GIVE UP! As you brush, you're teaching your brain a new skill. It's working on overdrive to communicate with your neurons to create a new "map" in your brain.