Improve Your Mental Fitness

More and more research suggests it is just as important for seniors to stay mentally fit as it is to stay physically fit, and may actually help to keep older adults’ brains healthier.  Seniors who engage in meaningful activities also report they feel healthier and happier.

The National Institute on Aging says these types of activities may protect the brain by establishing a cognitive reserve.  They explain “they may help the brain become more adaptable in some mental functions, so it can compensate for age–related brain changes and health conditions that affect the brain.”

One study called the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) Trial, had good results in improving seniors’ mental skills in the areas they were trained in.  The study involved healthy adults age 65 years or older who participated in 10 sessions of memory training, reasoning training, or processing–speed training.  The most surprising result of the study is that ten years later most of the participants’ improvements were still noticeable.   

Brain activities can include reading a book, making a puzzle, doing crosswords or playing trivia and other types of challenging games.  Research also suggests that memory improvement is not only accomplished by targeted brain games or memory drills, but can come from undertaking a new skill or hobby.  Learning to play an instrument or a foreign language are also great, brain healthy activities.  

Committed to be one of the best assisted living facilities in Centennial, CO, MorningStar at Jordan provides residents with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Every day we offer a variety of fun and engaging activities that include things such as exercise classes, word games, craft classes, card and board games, spelling bees, and a writing club.  Please visit our website to learn more about our loving community and while you are there, be sure to take a look at “More Scenes of Elevated, Celebrated Life.”   

The unique mission statement of MorningStar at Jordan, “to honor, to serve, to invest”, sets us apart from other assisted living facilities. Our foundation is built upon honoring God, valuing all seniors, and investing in staff with a felt calling to serve. Dedicated to creating a real home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to see for yourself our exceptional senior living community.

Source: nia.nih.gov/health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults