An active and healthy brain plays an important role in our happiness and wellness as we age, helping to fight dementia and other degenerative conditions which affect cognition and memory. Here are some useful mental exercises from our assisted living community in Gloucester County that help keep brains sharp:
- Long-term learning. Fascinated by history or literature? Always wanted to play a musical instrument? Studies have shown that learning new things has a lasting long-term effect on mental abilities, and free time in retirement allows us to indulge a passion or interest.
- Crosswords and Sudoku.: Affordable, easily available and catering to different strengths, crossword puzzles and other word games and Sudoku provide quick, and enjoyable mental challenges. While newspapers always offer a few options, there are many dedicated books available as well as online resources, so you can make the most of this challenge.
- Take up gardening. Gardening isn’t just about physical labor, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, it’s also about learning new skills and information and putting them into practice. Discovering and understanding new information about different plants, soils, pest control, cultivation, tools, and climates, then putting it all into practice, stimulates the brain. Being outdoors in the sunshine also helps seniors get their dose of Vitamin D, which helps balance hormones in the brain and strengthen bones— just don’t forget to stay hydrated and wear sun protection.
- Getting creative. Drawing, painting and other crafting activities help to stimulate fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and focus/concentration skills. As social activities, they help stimulate parts of the brain responsible for memory, language and more.
- Learning a new sport. Sports aren’t just for the young they benefit seniors, too. Great sports like hiking, walking, yoga, swimming, dancing, golf, and tennis utilize mind and body to help strengthen memory and cognitive ability, as well as muscles, bones and other vital systems.
Independent living at our assisted living community in Camden County, NJ
Pitman is an assisted living community in Gloucester County, NJ, offering high quality assisted living services in a comfortable, well-supported and beautiful environment. As part of the United Methodist Communities’ network, we also offer rehabilitation; physical, occupational and speech therapists; hospice and palliative care; respite care; and memory support services for seniors of all faith backgrounds.
To find out more about our assisted living community, please contact us today at https://pitman.umcommunities.org to book a personal tour.
Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/fun-mental-exercises-keep-brains-healthy-sharp/
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