That brain workout you just did? It’s going to last you five years.
That’s according to a poll done by the American Society on Aging about people’s attitudes towards brain fitness.
It’s a thorough and engaging report that’s posted on their website that I mentioned in an earlier post. I thought there were a few more points worth emphasizing. Particularly the positive news from the experts who contributed to the report.
Here’s a few highlights, more or less word for word, from the report:
- With good care, a normal brain can stay healthy and active just as long as the rest of the body.
- The discovery of two keys to brain capacity has fundamentally changed our understanding of brain fitness:
- Neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain to change in response to the stimulation of learning and experience.
- Neurogenesis is the addition of new brain cells, or neurons, that can expand function or restore abilities diminished by disease and disuse. To activate these vital functions, people need to be in enriched environments that include opportunities for socialization, mental stimulation and physical activity.
- Cross-training for the brain should be routine. A single activity is not enough to sustain the mental acuity that everyone can achieve. For example, reading or doing crossword puzzles, though each is good on its own, offers only partial benefits unless it is part of a comprehensive program for long-term brain health. Brain fitness depends on combining a variety of activities that differ in frequency, intensity and variety.
- Physical workouts nurture the brain as well as the body. It is well understood that blood flow stimulated by exercise is good for the heart, lungs and muscles. Now we know that it is beneficial for the brain as well.
- The results of brain workouts are long-lasting. Research indicates that gains from memory training interventions among people with normal, age-related cognitive changes can last for up to five years.
Five years? That’s a far better return on investment than doing sit ups.
