Leisure Activites Build Better Brains
Researches have gathered evidence demonstrating certain forms of leisure activities can help improve your cognitive functioning.
While non-cognitive activities such as watching television held no benefit, activities such as board games, reading, puzzles and constructive hobbies were shown to exercise the brain and help keep it alert.
Many older people worry when they forget where they have put the car keys, or the date of an appointment, that they may be losing their memory. Often it is nothing to worry about, but there are few things you can do to maintain your cognitive function.
A study published in the journal Neurology was conducted by a scientific research group in Chongqing, China, where 5,000 participants aged 55 years or older residing in nine communities selected at random. They were interviewed on the basis of gender, age, occupation, education, medical conditions, medication use and smoking and drinking habits. They used a common intelligence test, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), with scores adjusted for education level. They added measures to the MMSE to test for depression and their ability to care for their own daily needs, labeled ‘activities of daily living' (ADLs).
The researchers collected detailed information on the subjects’ leisure activities, for the purpose of finding out how often they participated in each activity, for how long, and the type of leisure pursuit.The cognitive activities included reading, writing, playing board games and music, dancing, performance drama, painting, listening to the radio, or watching television. Physical activities included walking, running, gardening and fishing, and there were the social activities of visiting friends and relatives or traveling.
The participants were studied each year for nearly 5 using the same tests. The study’s final analysis included data such as gender, age,occupation, education, smoking, drinking, medical conditions, symptoms of depression, initial ADL and MMSE scores, and participation in the various leisure activities.
The researchers found that 11% of the participants exhibited a drop in cognitive ability, with a higher representation of various groupings including women, those with lower education, blue collar workers, smokers,daily drinkers, older participants, those with more serious medical conditions,and those with a lower initial MMSE score and higher ADL score (less independence). Apart from drinking and smoking, the rest of the factors could not be changed.
| “Like the body’s muscles, the brain needs to be exercised regularly to remain healthy” |
The main aim of the study was to examine the relationship between participation and duration of leisure activities and the risk of cognitive deterioration. The results confirmed what the researchers expected. Those engaged in reading and playing board games exhibited less cognitive deterioration. The passive activity of watching television was correlated with increased cognitive decline. When all the leisure activities were included as one group, cognitive activity, but not social or physical activity, was correlated with a lower risk of cognitive deterioration.
The most common leisure activities the participants enjoyed were watching television, playing board games, and reading. The remaining cognitive activities of writing, dancing painting and playing music, were much less common, so statistical analysis was problematical with these activities.
The researchers placed a strong emphasis on mental stimulation providing a much reduced risk of cognitive decline. They reasoned that the passivity of watching television did not provide enough stimulation to keep the brain healthy. The findings suggest that, like the body’s muscles, the brain needs to be exercised regularly to remain healthy.
Dementia is when a person has difficulty thinking and remembering to such an extent that it interferes with his or her ability to function normally. The most common form is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for around 60% of all dementia cases.
Although age is a key factor for dementia that cannot be changed, there are strategies that people can employ to reduce the risk. You need to stay physically and mentally active, with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and managed stress. It is especially important to keep your heart healthy, as various forms of heart disease, such as arrhythmia, cardiac arrest,and abnormal heart valves, can increase the risk of stroke, which can be a trigger for cognitive deterioration. In addition you need to avoid high blood pressure (hypertension) as this dramatically increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Hypertension over a long period of time can also damage the small blood vessels of the brain, which is a risk factor for vascular dementia(commonly correlated with stroke) and possibly Alzheimer’s. Therefore you should have your blood pressure checked regularly.
| “You need to stay physically and mentally active, with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and managed stress” |
Obesity is associated with both hypertension and diabetes,which are both major risks for dementia. Eating in moderation is the best strategy, with smaller servings, consuming around 6-9 servings of a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Consumption of high-fat foods,including red meat, should be in much lower quantities. Eating fish is recommended 2-3 times per week for its antioxidant compounds such as omega-3fatty acids. Sugary soft drinks should be avoided as they can make you put on weight, and also damage your teeth; drink plenty of water instead – around 8glasses per day (more in hot weather). A small amount of alcohol, 1-2 glasses per day, may reduce hypertension.
Physical exercise that you enjoy is recommended. Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, dancing and Tai Chi are best. Activities that can be done with others are great, as you also get the benefit of social interaction. Your brain also needs to be exercised through engaging in challenging activities such as carpentry, needlework, playing board games, reading and solving crosswords. These activities stimulate your brain by requiring you to use your memory, imagination, and lateral thinking, while socialization may keep you young longer.
Depression is a common problem in older people, and may be associated with physical illness, loneliness, boredom or dementia. Depression may be an indicator of cognitive deterioration, and may result in poor psychological or social function. It can be treated with either counseling,medication or a combination of both.
Remember to keep physically and mentally active, and you will give yourself the best chance of preventing cognitive decline and dementia.
For more information: http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/66/6/E21?maxtoshow=&HITS=20&hits=20&RESULTFORMAT=&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&displaysectionid=Patient+Pages&resourcetype=HWCIT
HeadStrong's suite of brain exercises address important cognitive skills to help exercise the brain and help keep it alert.
Link this post:
Comments
You must sign in or register to post comments.