Stand while you work, ditch the sat nav and embrace friendships with millennials… The experts share their best ways to keep your brain younger for longer
Experts share their best tips to keep your mind sharp
Whether we’re working on an exciting project, travelling to a new place or reading an engrossing book, we need sharp brains to appreciate all life has to offer. Yet most of us devote more time to looking after our teeth than we do our brains. And, considering dementia is the most feared disease in over 55s, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, it’s worth prioritising our brain health.
‘Your brain is the most precious part of the body and defines who you are,’ says Gill Livingston, professor of psychiatry at University College London. ‘Looking after your brain is not just about remembering things, it’s about your feelings, reactions and simply enjoying life more.’
It’s true that our brains change with age, starting from as young as when we’re in our 20s. As we get older, we tend to become more forgetful and find learning new skills more difficult. But cognitive decline isn’t an inevitable part of the ageing process, says Bournemouth University neuroscience professor Hana Burianová.
‘The brain is plastic, so its structure and function changes and adapts throughout our lifetimes,’ she says. In a nutshell, our lifestyle and habits can directly affect brain ‘elasticity’, either contributing to our dementia risk or protecting us against it.
According to neuroscientist and author of Dr Sabina Brennan, our brains are dynamic organs that not only influence our behaviour, but are also influenced by our behaviour. ‘Through daily brain-healthy choices, you will gain a sense of rejuvenation and greater satisfaction with life,’ she says.
Our actions right now can not only protect our brains in the long term, but also provide sounder sleep, more laughter, sharper thinking and improved memory. Here, the experts share their brain-boosting advice…
1 - MAKE IT ‘NEW’
You’re likely familiar with aerobics, but have you heard of ‘neurobics’? These are brain-stimulating exercises performed when you try something new or do routine habits slightly differently. University College London researchers found that the region in the midbrain responsible for regulating motivation and processing reward responds better to novelty than to the familiar. ‘Our brains love new things,’ says Professor Burianová. ‘Even mundane tasks can be revamped. Take brushing your teeth, for instance: concentrate on the taste of the toothpaste, the sensation of the brush against your teeth and visualise cleaning away debris.’
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Try using your non-dominant hand to do a task. This requires the brain to pay closer attention to a normally unconscious behaviour.
2 - BUILD STRENGTH
Incorporating hand weights, kettle bells and/or resistance bands into your fitness routine is not only great for your heart, bones and maintaining muscle mass, but it also boosts your brain health. Researchers from The University of Sydney found that six months of strength training (90 minutes a week spread over two or three sessions) can help protect brain areas that are especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease for up to one year later.
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3 - GET YOUR HEARING TESTED
Hearing loss is the biggest modifiable risk factor against dementia, according to The Lancet. Data for adults over 50 shows that people with hearing loss perform better in cognitive tasks if they use a hearing aid, says Anne Corbett, associate professor of dementia research at the University of Exeter.
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Get your hearing checked every two years and trial hearing aids as soon as you have an impairment. To find out more about hearing loss, go to page 88.
4 - TAKE BRAIN BREAKS
Were you ever told off in school for daydreaming? It turns out that mind-wandering is actually great for the brain. According to Professor Burianová, just as your body needs to recover after vigorous exercise, your brain needs regular rest periods in the working day. ‘Take little breaks to deactivate the frontal cortex – even if it’s just thinking about something else for 30 seconds,’ she suggests. Gaze out of the window and allow your mind to wander.
5 - THINK ON YOUR FEET
Our brains perform better when we stand, according to a study published in Psychological Science. When volunteers were presented with conflicting stimuli – such as the word ‘green’ printed in blue ink – they were better able to process the information while standing because blood circulates more efficiently, meaning the brain absorbs more oxygen. A report in the International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health found standing desks increased concentration, which in turn led to an improvement in creative ability, troubleshooting skills and performance.
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If you don’t have a standing desk, try to stand up when you need to solve a problem.
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6 - USE A MAP
Drivers who rely on sat navs restrict their brain’s ability to hold memory and problem solve. In fact, researchers warn that the hippocampus – a major component of the brain that controls navigation – is the first to deteriorate in people with dementia. So try looking at a map before your next unfamiliar journey (but keep the sat nav handy in case you get lost!).
7 - KEEP LEARNING
Your brain doesn’t have limited capacity – it’s an incredibly powerful muscle that will grow the more you use it. ‘When you learn something new, your brain forms new connections and associations,’ explains Professor Burianová. ‘Think of it like rivulets forming in the ground after a fresh rain shower; the new information creates indentations and pathways in the soil of your mind.’ And you don’t have to go back to school to reap the benefits. ‘Visit an exhibition, museum or gallery – or find out about another culture while you’re on holiday,’ says Professor Livingston. It’s all about living with increased curiosity.
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Neuroimaging studies suggest expanding your vocabulary boosts cognitive ability, memory and intelligence. Sign up to dictionary.com/e/ word-of-the-day to learn a new word each day.
8 - FILL UP YOUR BOTTLE
Mild dehydration can impair cognitive performance, particularly when completing tasks involving attention and motor co-ordination. A Loughborough University study revealed that even mild dehydration is equivalent to being over the drink driving limit in terms of driver errors. ‘Aim for 2-3 litres a day – adding an additional glass of water for every alcoholic or caffeinated drink, hot days and very active lifestyles,’ advises neuroscience expert and certified therapist Laura Ellera (Health Surgery in India Blog).
9 - BE A BOOKWORM
Love getting stuck into a good book? Your brain loves it, too. Studies suggest regular readers have improved reasoning skills, vocabulary, concentration and critical thinking. A recent study using MRI brain scans to measure the impact of reading a novel found that, as tension built in the story, more and more areas of the brain lit up with activity. TIP ‘Read a variety of books, including non-fiction, to use different parts of the brain,’ suggests Professor Livingston. ‘Listen to audiobooks to “read and walk” – both great brain activities.’
10 - BREATHE FROM YOUR BELLY
Women, in particular, tend to breathe with their chests rather than their stomachs, Professor Burianová explains. This means they are taking in less oxygen, which is vital for the brain. This shallow breathing is linked to anxiety, fatigue and muscle tension. Imagine a balloon in the stomach: inhale and gently inflate the ‘balloon’, then exhale as slowly as you can to let the balloon deflate.
11 - MAINTAIN YOUR PURPOSE
Don’t plan for a permanent holiday in retirement! A British study tracking civil servants found their memory for words declined nearly 40% faster once they stopped working. If you have retired (or it’s coming up), engage in activities that continue to motivate, challenge and stimulate you to strengthen your cognitive reserve. Consider volunteering for a charity or researching a topic that interests you. The Einstein Ageing Study discovered four hobbies in particular are associated with a delay in the onset of dementia if carried out regularly: learning a musical instrument, playing chess, dancing and reading.
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Australian researchers found that daily gardening reduced the risk of dementia by 36% in a sample group of over 60s. It’s a perfect antidote to stress and promotes a feeling of achievement.
12 - CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Love puzzle games on your phone? Try the clinically trialled brain training games born from the PROTECT study at the University of Exeter. Users not only experienced improved memory and concentration, but also noticed more general brain function benefits in their day-to-day activities. Visit protectstudy.org.uk to participate in the study if you’re over 40. Obesity Surgery in India Blog
13 - PRIORITISE FRIENDSHIPS
‘Socialising supports brain plasticity,’ says Professor Burianová, explaining that loneliness in older adults is linked to brain deterioration. Laughing with others cements bonding, reduces stress and raises levels of serotonin – a key neurotransmitter linked to mood. ‘Being alone is fine as long as you feel content,’ she says. ‘Feeling lonely is very different.’
Multigenerational friendships can help us maintain a youthful outlook on life, so don’t just mix with friends your own age. A friendship study involving 422 women aged 31 to 77 discovered that the larger and more varied a social network they had, the younger they felt.
1 4 UP YOUR VITAMIN B INTAKE…
‘Without enough vitamin B, our brains can’t make the chemicals we need for mood, brain function and healthy sleep,’ explains Dr Mike Dow, author of The Brain Fog Fix. Green vegetables and beans are full of B vitamin folate, while organic eggs and fish are great sources of vitamin B12.
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Try marmite on toast: it’s rich in vitamin B12 and regulates the delicate balance needed to maintain a healthy brain*.
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1 5 …AND THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to poor memory function and low mood. A report in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition suggests that correcting vitamin D deficiency could prevent as many as 17% of cases of dementia.