Lifestyle
Brain Health
Most people think staying fit is just for their bodies. However, it is critical that we keep our brains working in top form. After all, it is our most important asset. Scientists now know more about the brain and the many things we can do to keep it healthy. Research is showing that we can reduce our risk of mental decline and debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's. With aging comes change, usually associated with loss of ability or function. The great news is that just like our bodies, if we stretch and exercise our brain, we can keep it fit. Lifestyle is a key factor in determining brain health.
The Five Pillars of Brain Health
Your brain is a highly dynamic and constantly reorganizing system capable of being shaped across your entire lifespan. Similar to animals, your brain can generate new brain cells and respond to environmental input. Your goal is to expose your brain to enriched environments, to the novel and complex, and to grow your brain reserve! Stimuli that is considered rote and passive to your brain is most likely not as health promoting. As part of my work on human brain health I have proposed a lifestyle that includes five critical factors:
Top 10 Tips for a Healthy Brain
Ten tips are proposed as primary if not critical components to a lifelong lifestyle for brain health. These behaviors are pulled from existing research on aging from the biological, psychological, social, and gerontological sciences. More...
A balanced approach
An important factor in a brain fitness program is a balanced approached. For optimal health, all 5 areas of brain function need exercise. these exercise activities need to provide:
- Diversity
- Complexity
- Variety
Read more here.
Read the Fit Brains Blog
For ideas for better brain health and fitness visit the Fit Brains Blog.
Science
Brain Fitness Science
Scientists all over the world are starting to agree that stimulating the brain can improve brain power. Numerous studies show that activities such as interactive games can help maintain key cognitive functions. More...
Cognitive Reserve
Research has found that keeping the brain active helps build brain or cognitive reserves. This is the brain's ability to create new neural pathways and connections that can be used as a sort of 'brain savings account', allowing you to draw on the account at a later date. More...
The 5 Key Brain Functions
Brain or cognitive functions are the skills that enable us to do everyday tasks. They are:
Interesting Brain Facts
In this section, you will find cool facts about the brain. Once you have read this section, you will know more about the human brain than most people. This knowledge will help you adopt a proactive lifestyle for brain health. It is time for you to consider your brain and how to keep it healthy! More...