Stay sharp

Aging is associated with many cognitive dysfunctions such as forgetfulness, inattention or slow processing. Despite the fact that life expectancy is much higher than one hundred years ago, cognitive abilities are becoming less sharp after 65 and are under the risk to advance to dementia.

Recent researches prove that brain functions can be managed during lifetime, modifying the risk factors that affect our genes. Not long ago people still believed that Alzheimer’s disease is an ordinary process of aging. Indeed, dementia cases are proved to be delayed by lifestyle factors that keep our brain in shape.

Avoid too much habit and routine

The human brain is programmed to effectiveness, in particular, to find the easiest way to get something done. But living everyday stick to one daily routine bankrupts the brain, leaving it crying out for challenge and newness. To improve cognitive abilities, it is essential to provoke the brain constantly with high confrontation and pleasance. Adding the social component to such activities is also exceptional for the human brain.

Control your blood pressure

Research confirmed that the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be reduced if blood pressure is lowered to 130 over 80. Later it was found that the more dynamic high blood pressure was lowered toward reaching a systolic pressure below 120, the lower the risk of MCI. The treatment included giving up smoking, medication management, physical activity and nutrition counseling, social and cognitive stimulation.

Avoid multitasking

The human brain craves for doing, but multitasking only puts it under pressure. Researches recommend adding to your daily habit a cognitive exercise “strategic attention”, that requires choosing two main tasks and focusing without any destructions only on them for 30 minutes twice. It will help you increase your efficiency faster and easier and obviously improve your attention.

Let your brain rest

For a good functioning, the human brain requires breaks from active thinking. The best way to practice the activity is too find 5 min a day to do nothing. A healthy sleep recommended eight to nine hours a day is a well-known brain stimulator and, moreover, it is linked with a lowered dementia risk.