Whether it pertains to stairlifts or not, when Acorn Stairlifts says that we care about our customers and their well-being, only wanting to give them the best, we mean it.
This also applies to our customers’ overall quality of life.
We want you to lead the healthiest, happiest, and most fulfilling lives possible. We want to see you succeed and reach new heights not only in mobility and independence but in all areas of their lives.
Without further ado, welcome back to “Acorn Stairlifts Tip of the Week,” a series in which we will equip seniors with all the knowledge, tools, and helpful advice that they need to succeed in their lives—ranging anywhere from physical health, to saving money with senior discounts, and just about everything in between.
Read on to learn how you can make the most of your memory.
The Acorn Stairlifts Senior Tip of the Week
Maintain and maximize your mind and memory with daily mental exercises like puzzles, music, mental exercises, games, etc.
Not only should you be physically and socially active for better memory, but you should also stay mentally active to maintain and/or maximize your memory and mental health.
From fun puzzles to memory exercises, there are plenty of fun and effective ways to stimulate your mind every day and improve your cognitive functioning.
How Do Mental Exercises Help Preserve and Strengthen Your Memory?
While scientists once believed that the brain’s ability to learn and grow was hardwired and finite, in recent studies and research, it was discovered that the brain can actually continue to change, reorganise, and create new pathways.
As we continue to study the mind and what it is capable of, it has become increasingly more evident that the human brain can continue to adapt and stay sharp well past the formative years.
However, just as you must continue to exercise your body in order to remain healthy and in shape, to maximize your mind’s potential for progression, you must regularly exercise your brain.
Exercising your brain with daily puzzles, games, activities, brain exercises, memory tests, listening to music, and learning new skills are all effective ways to keep your mind stimulated.
By performing these stimulating activities, scientists believe that your brain is establishing a “cognitive reserve.”
In other words, this means that these stimulating activities enable the brain to become more adaptable in some mental functions, which can compensate for age-related cognitive changes and mental conditions.
What are the Benefits of Exercising Your Brain?
There are several benefits to exercising your brain at any age, but these are some of the advantages that are especially beneficial to seniors, who often struggle with declining cognitive abilities, motor skills, memory, and increased loneliness or isolation:
- Invokes a greater sense of independence
- Encourages creativity
- Increases endorphins, leading to increase in overall happiness
- Decreases risk of depression
- Reduces blood pressure
- Improves immune system
- Helps prevent isolation and/or loneliness
- Reduces stress, both short-term and chronic
- Increases greater understanding of environments and surroundings
- Improves both long-term and short-term memory capabilities
- Helps prevent dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease
- Reduces the risk of cognitive decline
- Improves motor skills, such as drawing and writing
- Improves concentration level
- Increases the speed of your thinking
- Stimulates hand-eye coordination
- Improves reaction time
- Develops social skills
What Are Some Good Mental Exercises and Games for Improving Cognitive Functioning and Memory?
No matter what your interests are, with so many options available, it is easy to find mental exercises and games you enjoy that make boosting your brain power more fun.
Here are just some of the many examples of effective games, activities, and mental exercises you can practise every day to improve your memory and cognitive abilities:
- Puzzles
- Board Games
- Arts and Crafts
- Brain-boosting apps
- Strategic games like chess or checkers
- Card Games
- Word Games
- Numerical Games like sudokus
- Trivia Games
- Video Games or online games
- Matching games
- Recall games
Click here to see a list of the specific fun exercises and games you can try to start stimulating your brain.
What Are Other Things That I Can Do to Improve My Memory?
Want to learn other ways you can maintain and improve your memory as a senior even more?
Click here to read more about other ways that you can improve your memory.