Exercises for the brain and memory of an elderly person
It is no secret that with age, men and women have a significantly reduced memory. The first thing that comes to mind in such a situation is a pharmacy and a large assortment of drugs, the manufacturers of which claim that their remedy will certainly help improve memory. But do not rush to eat handfuls of pills, because you can use sparing methods instead.
Causes of problems
Memory impairment in people of age is an absolutely normal, physiological phenomenon. Such features of memory development are associated with age-related brain damage, organic disorders or neurological diseases.
Lack of attention from relatives, friends, colleagues, dissatisfaction with ourselves and our life, accumulated fatigue - all this can affect our memory.
Moreover, this does not have to happen in old age, at about 70 years old. Memory can become bad even at a very working age. Who of us has not had to go into the kitchen to remember why we came there at all? Here are some characteristics of situations that are considered acceptable at a solid age.
- Increasingly, you spend time looking for everyday things like glasses or apartment keys.
- Entering a room, bathroom or kitchen, you need some time to remember why you came here.
- You hardly remember the names and surnames of your acquaintances, you confuse the names of your children, grandchildren, neighbors.
- You have significant difficulty trying to say what you want out loud. Problems arise with the prompt selection of the right words to express your thoughts.
- You quickly lose information you just got from a news release, article or book you read.
If this happens periodically, it's time to think about how to avoid or reduce the number of such "blackouts" in memory. Aging of brain cells is inevitable. But it is in our power to minimize the consequences of violations.
The main ways to improve memory
To begin with, the head must be constantly occupied. To preserve memory, we just need constant mental activity. It is good if a person continues to work, and if not, then he just needs to be occupied with something. So what kind of mind games are offered for retirees?
The simplest and most affordable tool - read more. Good help playing chess or checkers... If there is no one to play a game with, then you can find a virtual opponent on the Internet. Today, such games can be played in the virtual space. This will help improve and computer skills, which is very important after a certain age, for example, for people 60 and older.
In many regions there are special computer courses where pensioners are trained for free. Well, if you don't like modern technology, it's time to get creative. Music, painting, singing, knitting - all of these can help restore memory. There are other methods as well. Let's dwell on some of them in more detail.
Learning languages
All your life you dreamed of speaking the language of Shakespeare or, returning from a foreign resort, decided to learn the language of the inhabitants of your beloved country and there was not enough time? The retirement age is the optimal period for the realization of cherished desires. This will help to establish memory and get new impressions. Experts conducted a study and came to the conclusion that such activities prolong youth, help to live without regard to passport age.
For some people of retirement age, success in learning a foreign language appears much faster than students and schoolchildren. By the way, in some cities there are also free courses for those who are over ... There are, of course, paid classes in private language schools. And on the Internet you can find many offers for online learning of any language in the world.
And if you like the great and mighty Russian language, then another brain training is for you.
Solving crosswords
British scientists claim that this type of activity rejuvenates the brain. Professor Ian Robertson of Trinity College, Dublin, assures that solving crosswords and logic puzzles improves blood circulation in the brain so much that the effect is quite comparable to the effect of physical exercises and the use of neurostimulants... He and his colleagues state that people who regularly spend time on crosswords and puzzles are less likely to suffer from memory loss.
Solving logical problems
The same can be said about solving various logical problems. You can find them in any bookstore, newsstand, and finally, on the Internet. If you devote at least ten minutes a day to logical tasks aimed at training imaginative thinking, intelligence, memory, this will help to improve memory potential by about 25% in the shortest possible time.
Other options
There are other types of brain training for the elderly and not only the elderly. Among them: memorizing poetry by heart, and if you don't like poetry, study prose... If you don't want to memorize, there are other ways and methods to train your memory. For example, the well-known to everyone game of cities, names, words. It's a great brain activity.
Improving memory is a complex task that requires more than just special training. You need a balanced diet, sleep and rest, walks in the fresh air, vitamins. Diversify your leisure time. Schedule your classes as you would for school lessons. For example, Monday - solving logic problems, Tuesday and Thursday - a foreign language, Wednesday - drawing, and so on. The main thing – do not allow yourself and your brain to be lazy.
Gerontologists give other tips on how to improve your memory. Among them is the expansion of the vocabulary. Try to use synonyms instead of the usual words. Another tip is to start using not only your working hand, but also the other in your daily life. If you are right-handed, start doing something with your left hand at least occasionally. This also contributes to the development of memory. For example, write down what you see or hear as a statement. This will give you two brain training sessions at the same time.
Look for inspiration at concerts, theaters, museums and exhibitions. And be sure to share them. The more you talk about experiences, the more you train your memory. Do not be afraid to give up the habit of going to the store only one way, change routes.
By the way, it is also recommended to periodically change the execution time of this or that daily activity. In the evening, say out loud everything that happened to you during the day.
Recommendations
What does our head need to reduce forgetfulness? The main thing is a healthy sleep. A healthy person should sleep from eight to nine hours a day. Insomnia contributes to memory impairment even at a young age. Outdoor walks are also important. Make them a daily habit. It is advisable to go outside twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. This will help the work of not only the brain, but the whole organism as a whole.
Avoid stressful situations and never overexert yourself. Neither mentally nor physically. Take a break from any work. And don't ignore your right to vacation. You cannot earn all the money in the world, but it is quite possible to lose the ability to think and remember in work and cares.
Also, exercise. Even simple exercise stimulates blood circulation in the brain well. Running is good for this. But before playing sports, be sure to consult with a medical specialist and find out how much exercise is right for you.
Well, and where without a healthy diet! Include mind-healthy foods in your diet. Your brain menu should include spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, nuts, honey, and fatty fish. Medicinal infusions will not interfere. Brew rowan berries, ginseng root, lemongrass. The effectiveness of such traditional medicine has long been confirmed by specialists.
Don't fill your head with unnecessary information. It is not necessary to remember the dates of birth of all friends, acquaintances and relatives by heart. For this, there are special calendars and notebooks.
Enter in them important dates for you, and use the part of memory freed from unnecessary information to your health. Don't worry in stores wondering if you've forgotten what to buy. Before you go shopping, write a list of necessities from your head to paper. The same applies to fees for a trip to the resort or to your favorite summer cottage.
And, of course, communicate more. The more time you spend talking to people, rather than silently within four walls, the less memory problems you will have. Well, if on cold winter evenings you do not want to go out, stay at home, but do not isolate yourself. Invite guests, talk to an old friend on the phone, or set up a video call over the Internet. And then in your life there will be much more happy moments that will remain in your memory for a long time.
As the famous song says, "the good mood will never leave you." And a positive attitude, by the way, is also very important for preserving youthfulness of the soul, body and, of course, the brain. After all, everyone knows that stress hormones can lead not only to memory impairment, but also to the emergence of a wide range of psychosomatic diseases.