2024-08-28 13:06:57
Have you ever wondered why we have brains? The obvious answer is probably “thinking.” But scientist Daniel Wolpert 2011 conference Society for Neuroscience:
“We have brains for one reason and one reason only: to produce adaptive and complex movements.”
Use your brain to stay productive
In other words, the brain is the conductor of the body’s movements. We call the ability to interact with the environment “abilities” Cognitive ability. These include concentration, learning, reasoning, adapting, and communicating with others. Each of them is key to enabling us to live normally and helping us maintain a good lifestyle.
So, how can we best take care of our brains to keep them productive for as long as possible? Contrary to popular belief, the brain does not continue to deteriorate with age. Instead, it only saw a drop in brain cell numbers and worsening connections From the age of 45 As part of the normal aging process. But brain plasticity, although reduced, persists until the end of life. Everyone builds cognitive reserve throughout their lives.
The more active, rich and stimulating the lifestyle, the stronger and more effective the reserve will be. In other words, the impact of age on cognition can be mitigated.
Benefits of physical activity on cognitive abilities after age 60
In fact, many studies show that physical activity does improve cognitive performance, even after age 60. The benefits are endless.
Despite this, few older adults regularly participate in physical education that is appropriate for their bodies. Lack of motivation and inability to perform these exercises are some of the factors that don’t help.
With this in mind, many caregivers may be tempted to provide monotonous routines to older adults as their physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities continue to decline. In fact, the range of exercises and research offered in this field have long revolved around the same triad: gentle calisthenics, walking, and yoga. However, you will get more benefits Combine different training methods.
Three ingredients to train older adults’ brains
Researchers are now trying to crack the secret to building cognitive skills and muscle building in older adults. It will consist of three main ingredients:
Component 1: Complex physical and motor stimulation of at least moderate intensity.
Moderate aerobic exercise not only improves cardiorespiratory fitness but also makes the brain more active efficient. Overall improved cardiorespiratory function, in turn, allows the brain to receive more oxygen and even produce more New neurons in the hippocampuswhere memories reside.
Therefore, it makes sense to incorporate aerobic exercise into programs designed to enhance cognitive function. But this is also It is necessary to combine them with muscle strengthening, flexibility and balance exercises to achieve greater benefits. also, researcher Emphasis is placed on the importance of adding situations that require complex motor skills and coordination, as these can have a significant impact on cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and mental flexibility, especially in older adults.
Second ingredient: Stimulating brain cells during exercise
Incorporating cognitive stimulation, such as remembering information over a period of time and executing it, anticipating an action, or planning an action, is another winning strategy. When cognitive stimulation is combined with physical activity, it can produce synergistic effect As a result, cognitive functions will be more efficient.
_Third element: Group activities leading to social interaction. _
It turns out that exercising as part of a group helps us keep at it.
What this winning formula might look like in practice is still being studied. Currently, two major categories of exercise are capturing our attention to help older adults stay sharp.
Choose between cooperative and confrontational team sports
Team sports offer more than just physical training. What’s special about them is that they not only challenge cardiorespiratory balance, but tap physical skills throughout the body.
Take basketball or handball, for example: balance, coordination and flexibility are crucial to moving around the court, dribbling or scoring. Passing, catching and moving also require muscle strength. As long as they are properly supervised, these team sports can be played even after age 60.
From a cognitive perspective, the situations created by these activities are always fresh, rich, and exciting. We call this double combination of stimulation synchronous training. Many researchers have emphasized the importance of such cognitive engagement in team sports and encouraged their practice, especially among older adults.
Recent studies, e.g. One taking place in 2022 Research by French researchers shows that participating in team sports can improve short-term visuospatial memory (for example, enabling people to remember the location of certain objects for a limited period of time) and planning skills in older adults.
Get your body moving through exercise games
Another promising approach is sports games – Video games that require players to move around to play. Named after “exercise” and “games,” they became popular in the 2000s thanks to Nintendo’s Wii and Switch and Microsoft’s Kinect.
Exogames are thought to exercise different fitness skills such as balance, endurance, strength and coordination while stimulating cognitive functions. among the elderly, multiple studies This type of training has been shown to help improve many physical and cognitive abilities.
In 2020, a new generation of sports games emerged, using interactive walls to create a more immersive gaming experience, such as Neo Xperiences’ ShinichiSperry’s exercise cube and Lu Al Interactive. In these games, which combine real and virtual worlds, physical objects (such as balls) and digital objects coexist and interact in real time.
one recent research An immersive wall-assisted exergame program was compared to a walking and muscle-strengthening program. The results suggest that a new generation of exergames may be more effective at improving cognitive abilities than traditional training.
Combining physical and cognitive exercise is your best chance of keeping your brain healthy while staying fit. No matter your age, this is crucial for an active and fulfilling life.
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