There’s a group of those that longevity researchers name “SuperAgers,” who’re of their 80s and past, however have the cognitive perform of these a long time youthful.
Conversely, it is doable to your mind to be older than your chronological age, which is what we need to keep away from.
As a neuroscience researcher and writer of “The Age-Proof Mind,” I’ve discovered that it is our behaviors, not simply our genes, which have a strong impression on our mind’s future.
So what units SuperAgers other than individuals who have weak reminiscence expertise? In response to a 2021 research that adopted SuperAgers over the course of 18 months, one key differentiator was that they saved studying new issues all through their life.
SuperAgers be taught one thing new on daily basis
Consider the mind like a checking account. We make “deposits” — or new connections between our mind cells — by studying. Our reminiscences are housed in these connections.
As we age, we naturally lose a few of these connections. It is like making a withdrawal yearly. However the extra deposits we make all through our lives, the much less our internet value is affected by these withdrawals.
But higher education isn’t the only way to maintain memory. In another study, even if individuals had lower levels of education, if they attended lectures, read, wrote and read often, they had memory scores on par with those with more education.
Which types of learning are best for brain health?
Keeping your brain healthy is not all about Sudoku, Wordle or crossword puzzles. Those can have cognitive benefits, but you are mostly exercising with the knowledge and skills you already have.
What does make significantly new connections in the brain is learning new skills and information. And the process should be challenging: SuperAgers embrace — and sometimes crave — that feeling of frustration when they learn something outside of their expertise.
‘Cross-train’ your brain
Approach learning the way you would with fitness training. You wouldn’t go to the gym and only work out your forearms. Eventually, you would look like Popeye.
The same goes for the brain. Learning a new language, for example, works out different parts of the brain than a new sport or instrument does.
You can cross-train your brain by mixing mental and physical learning activities. Get out your calendar and plan different types of activities using this plan:
- Day 1: Learn something mentally stimulating, such as listening to a podcast or taking an online course.
- Day 2: Do something that requires learning through movement, such as a new sport, dance or yoga pose.
- Day 3: Be social. Grab coffee with a friend or go to a dinner party. Yes, social interaction is a form of learning that has been associated with staving off dementia.
No matter what it is, learning new things keeps your brain young. So if you discovered something you didn’t know before from reading this article, you’re already helping your brain age at a slower pace.
Marc Milstein, PhD, is a brain health expert and author of “The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia.” He earned both his PhD in Biological Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from UCLA, and has conducted research on genetics, cancer biology and neuroscience. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
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