“The memory is not the same,” the elderly remarks with a sigh, forgetting
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about something important in the next. Indeed, over the years, it is increasingly difficult to hold large volumes of information in my head. But to preserve the sharp mind, despite age, is quite real. We give recommendations for strengthening cognitive functions.
Perhaps such situations have already happened to you. You came to the room and could not remember why you came. You lost the keys to the car again and again. You tried to recall the name of a friend who stood in front of you, but there was an emptiness in your head. At such moments, many people think: “Not that! I begin Alzheimer’s disease? Am I losing intelligence?”
If you are worried about it, you are not alone. A recent study conducted by the Alzheimer Association showed: 60% of people around the world mistakenly believe that Alzheimer’s disease is an integral element of aging. She is in second place among diseases that people are most afraid of. Only cancer is ahead of it.
But you need to distinguish the usual age deterioration of memory from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If you cannot recall the details of the event or conversation held a year ago, this is normal. If you do not remember what happened last week, this is a reason for concern.
Scientists distinguish three factors that place people at risk:
Prolceless age: a third of people who have reached 85 years are faced with those deteriorations of cognitive functions;
Cases of Alzheimer’s disease in family history;
one of several very rare genes.
But even if you are in the risk category, this does not mean that you will definitely get sick. Now we have a huge amount of information on how to prevent the loss of mental abilities. Here are a few recommendations of the author of the book “Brain outside the age” of Julia Van Secrets based on the latest research.
1. Call yourself a challenge
Set complex tasks. Come out of the comfort zone and try to do something new, even if at first you feel awkward. This is what makes the brain develop.
2. Do not rush to retire
The prospect of retirement early can look attractive, but for the brain it is hell. Researchers watched civil servants from the UK 14 years before retirement and 14 years after that. Scientists have found that after retirement, the ability to remember words worsened significantly.
3. Study something new every day
Start learning a foreign language, sign up for vocal lessons or take up painting. This will help to actively use and develop cognitive abilities.
Scientists conducted a study with the participation of London taxi drivers who were supposed to learn the London map, consisting of 25,000 streets, and pass the exam on it. Brain scan showed that drivers who successfully overcome the test achieved physical changes in their brain and significantly improved cognitive functions.
4. Maintain social contacts
The brain trains when you interact with other people. In one study, scientists compared the elderly people with large and small number of social contacts. Six years after the start of the study, the memory of people from the second category worsened twice as much as those who had a lot of social ties. So expand the social circle.
5. Train balance
Studies have shown that people who cannot stand on one leg for more than 20 seconds are more often subject to damage to small blood vessels in the brain, for example, in the form of micro. So do exercises to train balance or sign up for Chinese gymnastics Taiji.
6. Move more
The study of women aged 38 to 60 years have shown that physical exercises pushing the onset of Alzheimer on average by 9.5 years. Even light physical activity, such as daily walking, show effectiveness and pushes the onset of the disease if it is inevitable.
