How Exercise Helps the Brain Fight Aging

Everyone has a general understanding that moderate exercise is beneficial to your overall health. Even the smallest amount of exercise can improve your circulation, help fight arthritis, and even improve conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol. Most people, however, do not realize how beneficial simple exercise is to keeping the brain young.

Exercise Requires Coordination

All forms of exercise require coordination. Because of this, your brain must make the effort to stay coordinated to complete the task. This is very helpful to keeping your brain young. Many people when they age start to lose their ability to maintain their balance or stay coordinated to complete certain tasks. This is why falling is common in the elderly. By keeping your brain active through exercise you will be able to maintain your balance and coordination.

Exercise Requires Dedication

Making a commitment to exercise everyday requires you to make a commitment to the routine. Establishing a routine of any type is beneficial to the brain because the brain is required to remember and perform this routine on command. Repeating an exercise routine helps you retain your memory skills and keeps the brain stimulated.

Feeding Your Brain

Your brain requires fresh blood and pure oxygen to work properly. When you exercise, you are pushing more blood and more oxygen through your system. This means that you will feel more alert and your brain will function at optimal strength. By continuing to exercise, you will feed your brain and help it to stay healthy.

Social Interaction

Many people find that it is easier to exercise with a friend. Going to the gym or attending exercise classes gives you the opportunity to interact with other people. This social interaction is beneficial to your overall mental health, and this benefit extends to your physical brain. Your brain “enjoys” the pleasure hormones that it receives when you are socially interactive and this response keeps your brain active and young.

Health Benefits

There are many medical disorders that can have adverse effects on the brain. High cholesterol, diabetes, even high blood pressure can all take its toll on the brain. When your body is unhealthy your brain will also suffer. Exercising decreases your risk for many of these diseases and can help improve them if you are already suffering from one of these conditions. For every other medical condition you eliminate, prevent, or manage, your brain will benefit from your healthy efforts.

Exercise, when added to a healthy diet, is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body and your brain. Exercise will help you remain strong, keep you feeling young, and help your brain stay active and healthy. You do not have to commit to an aggressive workout routine to see the benefits. Making the commitment to add twenty minutes of movement of any type to your day will be very beneficial to your overall health.

How To Stay Mentally Strong at 90

Paying attention to your mental health as you age is just as important as your physical condition. There are plenty of ways that you can stay mentally fit at 90 that only require a moderate level of commitment from you.

1. Keep Your Brain Active Each Day.

It is important to exercise your brain daily, just as you would any other major muscle in your body. One great way to engage your brain is to try to learn a new activity, such as a new language or playing a musical instrument.

2. Maintain Your Social and Familial Connections. 

Socialization is a great way to keep you active and stimulated as you age. Staying in touch with your family and friends is very important to your mental and emotional health. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to connect with your family and stay in touch. This could be a phone call or planning a visit with family. Aging adults that maintain an active social life are less likely to report signs of memory loss and tend to be more mentally alert in general. Strong social connections also keep you more positive and upbeat in general.

3. Get Enough Sleep.

Proper sleep is important for keeping your brain sharp throughout the day. You should try to remain as active as possible during the day, but it is vital to get a deep sleep each night. Try turning off your electronics well in advance of going to bed so that you can sleep more soundly.

4. Stay Physically Active.

Physical exercise can help to support brain health. You can try adding in an extra walk each day or planning to meet friends to exercise. This is also great for your heart health and can help to fight off depression.