Steps to Support Brain Health as You Age
Engaging in activities to challenge your mind might help keep your brain healthy as you get older.
“CBS Mornings” is collaborating with the Alzheimer’s Association to present a three-part series titled “Brain Health: From Awareness to Action,” which discusses habits that may reduce the risk of dementia in later years.
Joanne Pike, the CEO and president of the Alzheimer’s Association, noted, “What we’ve discovered recently is that simple actions—whether it’s nutrition, physical activity, or mental challenges—can influence your brain health.”
The organization has introduced a “6-Step Challenge,” which provides strategies on science-based lifestyle changes aimed at supporting long-term cognitive function.
“Engaging your mind is an excellent way to stimulate your brain and learn new things,” Pike explained. “It creates a cognitive reserve so that as you age, you have a repository of brain health to draw upon.”
Mind-Challenging Activities
Pike pointed out that the most effective activities are those that expose you to unfamiliar experiences. For instance, she suggested that “strategy games,” like chess, can be more beneficial than crossword puzzles or Sudoku, which tend to rely on memory.
“We should aim for activities that require learning something new or approaching it in a different manner,” she said, emphasizing that the key is to ensure the experience is novel.
In addition to chess, Pike encouraged trying out a new musical instrument, learning a new language, or delving into a subject that you aren’t already acquainted with.
She also highlighted the significance of maintaining social connections. “Studies show that people who experience isolation have a 70% higher risk of cognitive decline,” she added, underlining the need for “brain activation.”
For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association’s “(re)think your brain” initiative and the “6-Step Challenge,” visit rethinkyourbrain.org, where users can sign up and receive daily action steps and guidance via text or email.
