Here is a shocker- As you approach the latter half of your life span, among the many things you can do to maintain and revitalize your intellect is to enter into a series of physical activities which improve abstract thinking and concentration.
Are you one of those people who look at themselves every morning with a critical eye and doggedly follow an exercise regime to maintain optimum health and agility? Almost all of us are aware of the benefits of physical exercise, but perhaps we need to be reminded that the body needs as much exercise above the neck as it does below.
Do you enter a room and forget why you went there? Do you find it hard to recall names of acquaintances? As the years go by, fear of being dependent, of loosing confidence, of falling and suffering a fracture, fear of developing neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases niggles at our sub-conscious.
The adage, ‘Use it or lose it’ can never be truer when associated with maximizing brain function. Contrary to the widely held belief that the brain looses cells as it ages, it is now estimated that genetics are responsible for only one third of what constitutes memory, ability and brain health. Lifestyle, daily experiences and overall brain fitness dictate the other two third. So, with optimum stimulation, new cell connections can be made, and in fact any mental rehearsal can be beneficial for an agile memory.
You will notice the first signs of aging when you undergo a loss of short term memory and display an inability to learn new information. To counteract memory loss, therefore, it is crucial and never too late to engage in a rich diversity of stimulating activities. Combining these activities with social interaction could slow down mental erosion associated with old age.
By the time you reach your forties and fifties, the brain has matured and absorbed adequate information which can be used as a database to engender cognitive vitality and successful aging.
Besides the basic requirements of sufficient sleep, a healthy diet inclusive of unrefined grain foods, greens, fruits, oily fish, and a substantial intake of water, would go a long way in improving abstract thinking and concentration.
Activities such as gardening, playing a musical instrument are found to be most successful in preventing mental diseases. Learning a new dance step or a new language which forces the brain to switch track constantly will help you to maintain a mental edge. Engaging in intellectually challenging and stimulating activities, like attending lectures, plays, reading, playing chess minimizes chances of developing debilitating brain disorders.
You can remain mentally stimulated by regular practice of puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, Scrabble. Easily accessible websites on the internet for boosting your memory, concentration and awareness, has opened up a world of opportunities for people of all age.Www.queendom.com/mindgames/index.html offers daily challenges to keep the mind alert and www.mybraintrainer.com increases IQ, decreases anxiety and improves cognitive efficiency and speed. A prime website, www.scrammble.com now supercedes the well known game, Scrabble. Scrammble was invented by Dr. Chang, keeping in mind the health benefit of the players. Is a fast paced, fun, challenging, strategic game of variety, memory, alertness and thinking.
Finally go to www.braingym.com to find out how to focus on specific natural physical movement to facilitate efficient storage and retrieval of information. In conclusion, with a little effort, proficient optimization of abstract thinking would fine tune you to enjoy and fulfill your golden years.
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