It is easy to fall into a routine of endless TV watching, napping and unhealthy eating for elderly men and women who have long since retired and are finding themselves more and more home bound. This doesn’t have to be the case though. In fact, keeping oneself busy with brain boosting activities can help to increase self-esteem as well as promote physical health. The main three components for keeping the brain healthy as you age are…

1. Social Interaction. Believe it or not, being around other people provides several health benefits. Talking out your concerns or emotions can be a great way to relieve stress. Having a great number of social interactions has been linked to lower blood pressure and longer life expectancies.  Because navigating around other people’s feelings and trying to understand them can be a challenging exercise, it has also been shown to increase memory and other cognitive skills. The more social ties the better. Talking on the phone is a nice way to interact with family and friends, but face to face is even better. Feeling guilty about not being able to visit Mom regularly because you live to far away? MAS Home Care can provide New Hampshire home care clients with a companion to talk to or play cards with.

2. Games and Other Brain Workouts. Speaking of having a friend to play cards with, games are a great mental stimulation while getting in that social interaction time. Games that require critical thinking skills are best. Puzzles and board games like checkers or Scrabble are other great options. No one around to play with today? Crosswords and Sudoku are fun yet challenging independent tasks. Other enjoyable and good for you activities that are not games are reading, crafts, or playing an instrument.

3. Physical Activity. Another key component to keeping energy high and your brain in good working order is physical activity. We all know that exercise is good for the heart and overall body, but did you know it keeps your brain functioning at its best? It helps to form new brain cells and might even help offset dementia. Something as simple as a 30 min. walk can have great benefits. If walking around the block is too difficult, there are plenty of simple aerobic exercises that can be done in the house. This is also another thing that could be done with a partner.

Incorporating these three components into your daily life can keep you fit and sharp as well as increase longevity.