Keeping your brain and body active is the key to staying forever young. The old saying still rings true, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Our Cypress Cove team wanted to put together a list of 7 ways to keep your brain healthy at a Cape Coral Senior Living Community.
- Learn to play a musical instrument. This is a skill that you will not be able to learn overnight. This means that you will be able to keep your brain challenged with a complex goal over an extended period. It is also a fun skill to practice with others or on your own.
- Switch hands when doing basic tasks. How will this help your brain? It helps put your fine motor skills to the test. Even if it is as simple as brushing your teeth with your left hand instead of your right hand.
- Play a new sport or start a new hobby. It may feel safer to stay in your comfort zone. However, mix in a couple of new things occasionally, like picking up table tennis or learning how to paint. This will keep your brain sharp and help with physical and mental agility.
- Memorize the phone numbers that are stored in your phone. This is a fun personal challenge and comes in handy if your mobile device runs out of battery. It is nice to challenge your memorization skills but is even better if the information is useful.
- Sleep for 6-8 hours each night. This is a simple and important step in keeping your brain on its A-game. Why? While you are sleeping your brain goes through “…necessary chemical changes needed to integrate new skills and information into long-term memory.” – American Orthopedics.
- Vary aspects of your surroundings when doing everyday tasks. While reading your morning paper, sit in a different environment or room than you usually do. The brain associates memory with contextual and environmental cues. The more that you have going on around you the more things there are to trigger your memory. When doing something you want to remember, try playing a specific song in the background. That way whenever you hear that song you will think of that moment.
- Visualize what you are trying to remember. A simple example is trying to remember what you wanted to buy when you go to the grocery store. Instead of trying to simply memorize the 3 words. (1. Eggs 2. Milk 3. Tissues) Picture balancing the egg on your finger, with the flour sitting on your head and the tissues on your knee while you stand on one leg. This visualization is goofy and will help you remember it when you are standing amidst the many aisles of the grocery store.
After moving into a Cape Coral Senior Living Community there will be a monthly Activity Calendar available that will include a wide variety of events, workouts, games, crafts, and clubs. Participating in these activities along with the 7 Brain Tips listed above will be beneficial to keeping your brain active. Getting involved will also help make the transition to Cape Coral Senior Living easier. It helps you make new friendships and discover hobbies you didn’t know you loved!