Have you ever found yourself struggling to remember something that used to come easily to you? As we age, our cognitive function can decline, but the good news is that there are steps we can take to build and maintain our mental abilities.
According to a recent article in the European Journal of Epidemiology, a lack of mentally challenging activities may exacerbate the loss of cognitive function. This is the ‘use it or lose it’ hypothesis which turns out to be pretty accurate for many aspects of life in retirement.
As retirees and older adults, it can be tempting to settle into a more sedentary lifestyle, but this can actually be detrimental to our cognitive health. By taking steps to eat better, exercise regularly, and challenge ourselves mentally, we can improve our cognitive function and prevent decline.
The good news is that the old views on neuroscience are being shaken and we are learning that neuroplasticity continues throughout life! We can continue to build our brains at any stage.
So, let’s work together to keep our minds sharp and our bodies healthy. By participating in accessible programs of learning, trying new activities, and making an effort to meet new people, we can build new neural pathways and maintain our cognitive abilities. Remember, cognitive decline in retirement is not inevitable, and we have the power to take control of our cognitive health.
-Johann
Our top article pick of the week:
Did you know that you can actively boost your cognitive health even after 65?
Cognitive decline need not be inevitable. There are many habits we can adopt, even later in life, that can help us to boost our brain health. These habits don’t require fancy equipment or even many resources. The exciting thing is that neuroplasticity continues throughout life and that means we can continue to learn, grow, and even recover.
To read this 5-minute article on our Community click here.
Our most popular daily thought this week:
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. – Irish Proverb
Did you know that we can continue to boost our cognitive health throughout life, even as older adults? This week marks International Brain Awareness Week and the good news is that we can actively improve our cognitive health through simple habits. Among them are getting good sleep and lowering our stress levels. #BrainHealthAwarenessWeek
Here’s a show we’re watching:
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
We recently streamed the National Geographic series Limitless on Disney+ with Chris Hemsworth and recommend this series for anyone else interested in longevity and the various health and wellness practices that support his the burgeoning field of study in this area. Our two favourite episodes from the series are episode 4 on strength where Chris discovers how his muscles can help him live longer, and episode 6 on acceptance where Chris’ quest for youth fast forwards him to the end of his life as he visits a retirement home.
Please do this one thing for us…
If you found this week’s newsletter useful and know of someone else who might too, please forward it to them. This will help us grow and strengthen our community and we’d deeply appreciate it.
Sign up
If you received this from a friend and would like to get information like this in your inbox every week, click here to subscribe.
And remember, you can always talk to us!
We mean it. Just reply to this mail. We’d love to hear your feedback, suggestions or questions. Also, we know that loneliness is a rampant problem particularly as we get older, so being available to our community is one of our non-negotiable values. We’ll do our best to get back to you as soon as we can and assist however we can.
