Scientists have long touted the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise and a good night’s sleep for maintaining brain health. But they’re not the only ways to protect your brain. In fact, some of your favorite activities may also help keep your mind sharp and your brain healthy.
Reading
Curling up with a good book does more than transport you to new worlds.
According to a small study published in the journal Neurology, seniors who engage in brain-stimulating activities such as reading have also been shown to experience slower rates of cognitive decline.
Other studies have shown that intellectually-engaging activities, such as reading may help fend off Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Reading may also help reduce chronic stress and anxiety that can be detrimental to brain health.
Getting outside
Few things are more restorative and peaceful than being out in nature — going on a hike, strolling through an urban park or working in the garden. Spending time outside doing these sorts of activities offers benefits for your brain too.
Studies have shown that time spent in nature may help improve sleep quality and has also been shown to potentially improve cognitive functioning over time. Additionally, some evidence indicates that being exposed to nature can help boost working memory, improve attention span and sharpen cognitive flexibility.
Meditation
With daily distractions such as phone screens, work meetings and endless to-dos constantly vying our attention, it’s not always easy to find the time to sit in silence — even for a few minutes a day. But you may be more motivated to try if you knew how beneficial it was for overall brain health.
Among many other benefits, mindful meditation has been shown to improve focus in older adults, as well as reduce stress, help improve sleep and soothe the symptoms of depression.
One study also found that meditation may improve memory, attention and focus if done before an activity that requires multitasking. Preliminary evidence has also pointed to meditation as a way to potentially fend off cognitive decline.
Crafting
Crafting is a favorite activity for many. Knitting, cross-stitching and crocheting can feel meditative and relaxing, which is why so many turned to these hobbies during the early days of pandemic quarantine. What they might not have known was how beneficial these activities can be for brain health.
Activities such as knitting help improve hand-eye coordination and can also help reduce stress and fend off depression.
One 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry also found that activities like quilting and knitting may reduce the changes from cognitive decline by 30% to 50%. Because crafting also requires the use of many different parts of the brain at once, it can also help boost memory and attention span and stimulate visuospatial processing.
There are many other fun ways to protect the health of your brain. Listening to music, spending time with friends and creative writing have all been shown to have positive effects on cognitive health, too. The key is consistency, finding those activities that you most enjoy and making time for them.
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