By Dr. Nora DeVoe, Ph.D.
Geriatric Care Manager

The
Brain
Fitness Lifestyle Assessment

Regular brain exercise can help you preserve, protect, and build both memory and mental agility. But brain exercise alone does not tell the whole story when it comes to brain health and successful aging. Researchers have uncovered eight key lifestyle factors that complement brain exercise and promise successful aging.
Take the following assessment to help you pinpoint your lifestyle strengths and areas of risk.
Place a check next to each factor you are managing well and focus more attention on those factors you need to manage better.

1. Manage your numbers.
What is good for your heart is good for your brain. High blood pressure, heart disease and stroke are risk factors for dementia. Work with your doctor to control blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels. If you are taking multiple medications, consult with your doctor about the combined effect these medications have on your memory, mood and mental acuity.

2. Feed your brain.
Good nutrition is critical to brain health. A low fat, low cholesterol diet will help protect your heart and your brain. A diet rich in dark green vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, helps fight off free radicals and protects brain cells. Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish contain properties that boost both mood and memory. Supplement your diet with antioxidant vitamins.

3. Manage your stress.
Stress is a part of being human. It can be triggered by both positive and negative life events, such as a wedding or a death in the family. The stress mechanism is thought to be a carryover from our primitive past, in which the body’s “fight or flight” alert may have been the difference between eating bear for dinner or being eaten by a bear.
In most societies today, this stress mechanism is no longer useful, and in fact has been found to be harmful to healthy brain function. Living in a chronic state of stress produces prolonged exposure to the stress hormone, corticosterone. Research has shown that exposure to stress hormones resulted in the visible shrinkage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with memory and learning.

4. Stay socially connected.
Several studies have indicated that staying socially connected appears to be an important factor in living a longer and healthier life. It has been recognized for some time that isolation is a powerful risk factor for poor health, depression, and suicide. Human beings are not meant to be alone. Talking, touching and relating to others are essential to our well being. Marriage, membership in clubs, attending church frequently and regular contact with family and friends are positive life engaging factors.

5. Stay physically active.
Physical exercise has been proven to increase blood flow to the brain, which brings with it oxygen and nutrients essential to healthy brain function. Physical exercise also increases the circulation of endorphins, a hormone proven to boost mood and memory. Being a couch potato is bad for your health. A well-balanced physical fitness program has three elements: stretching, muscle toning, and cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. Remember that walking is still one of the best and safest aerobic exercises.

6. Live with purpose.
Living with purpose is about being actively involved in meaningful work. It does not matter if the work is paid or unpaid. What does matter is that the work you are engaged in makes you feel productive and needed.

7. Live with passion.
Dr. Gene Cohen, author of “The Creative Age,” tells us that our older years may be our best years. He refers to a liberation stage that many people in their sixties and seventies experience. Free of the financial and emotional burdens of raising a family, seniors can now pursue their own passions. They use this newly found inner sense of freedom to paint or write or travel.

8. Live a life of learning.
Learning is the number one brain builder. Inflexible routine is the number one brain drainer. Studies show that adults with higher levels of formal education have built more cognitive reserves than older adults with lower levels of formal education. Regardless of formal education, however, it is never too late to break out of the routine and create new learning opportunities. For a healthy brain, make new learning a lifelong pursuit.
I hope this assessment will provide a good framework for you to create new opportunities and ways in which to build on your brain health, wellness, and successful aging.