Health Care

BY:Susan Nickerson, DC

Aging and memory loss – two things most of us think go hand-in-hand. But science tells us they do not. Memory loss is not a normal part of aging. In fact, actually there are ways to improve your memory as you age.

According to Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., President and Medical Director of the non-profit Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation or ARPF: “To achieve brain regeneration, I have discovered that you have to do more than just keep your brain healthy with nutritional therapy, physical exercise, stress management, and appropriate pharmacology. You also need to carefully nurture your brain with vigorous mental exercise, what I call brain aerobics”.

So what are brain aerobics — and how can they stop aging memory loss? Plus, how can you use these exercises to build a better memory?

We hear and think a lot about physical fitness, but frequently overlook mental exercise. For your optimal brain power, it’s important to exercise your mental muscles as well as your physical ones. A healthy mind and body relationship is the key to unlocking, activating, and sustaining brainpower during your entire lifespan.

Brain aerobics are vital to building and growing your mental muscles. But what exactly constitutes a brain aerobic exercise? To qualify as a brain aerobic exercise, it:

-- Needs to engage your attention
-- Must involve two or more of your senses
-- Must break a routine activity in an unexpected, nontrivial way

Here are some actual examples of simple brain aerobics you can use:

-- Volunteering
-- Singing songs
-- Memorizing lists
-- Learning a new language
-- Becoming computer literate
-- Discussing headlines and current events
-- Engaging in music, art, and other hobbies
-- Doing jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles

According to Dr. Dharma and the ARPF, everyone should spend at least 20 minutes — three times a week — doing mental exercises. Studies show that when people engage in moderate, pleasant forms of mental exercise, their knowledge, as well as the efficiency and the power of their brains, increases.

Now that you know what brain aerobics are, how can these exercises help stop aging memory loss and help you build a better memory?

Well, these mental activities, especially when combined with physical exercise like walking, may actually regrow brain cells. You are nurturing your brain’s health when you engage in mental activities like crossword puzzles and singing.

Because you can regenerate brain cells with brain aerobics, these exercises work for everyone — including people who are showing signs of memory loss. Rigorous mental activity can improve everyone’s mind and memory.

In fact, brain aerobics have been reported to lower your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to a whopping seventy percent!

Brain aerobics are scientifically proven exercises that allow you to have fun, build a better memory — and stop aging memory loss.



For more free tips, suggestions, and advice on brain aerobics and other memory-building tools you can use now — visit the non-profit Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation or ARPF at http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/