Keep Your Mind Fit
By Sara Butler
It's not simply your body you need to keep an eye on as you get older, it's your mind too. You probably do a variety of things to ensure your body stays healthy, such as eating right and exercising, but when was the last time you did something to sharpen that mind of yours? The sad truth is that as you get older, your cognitive abilities can start to decline. But they don't have to! Here are a few things you can do to keep your mind sharp as you rack up those trips around the sun.
Take a Language Class
Technology is amazing and one of the most amazing things about it is the information you can pretty much get on-demand. If you've always been interested in learning a new language, then there's no time like the present to start! Languages help to keep your mind forming new connections and are a great way to flex your brain muscle. Simply download an app on your phone and begin listening to it when you take your dog for a walk or when you work out at the gym.
Learn Some New Computer Skills
Computer skills are something you should constantly keep on top of because they make your life easier to navigate. After all, you won't want to be that grandparent that has a 6-year-old grandchild who can do more on a tablet than you can! Find some apps to help you learn some new skills that you find interesting (maybe about technology) and see where it takes you.
Play Cards
Those old ladies that play bridge six days a week know what they're doing because card games can help to keep your mind sharp. Any card game that requires thinking and strategy can help keep your brain engaged and working at its best.
Another benefit to card games is that you usually must play them with other people so it gets you out and helps you socialize. Socializing as you get older has been proven to help keep your mind active, helping to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and dementia in some people.
Tennis/Golf
If you dream of spending your golden years out on the putting green, then go for it! Learning to play a game such as golf or tennis -- or any active sport really -- helps to keep your mind healthy. Just as with card games, it helps you socialize as it challenges your brain to form a strategy, plus it gets your body moving and that's never a bad thing!
Work as you get older to keep your mind as well as your body sharp!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Dallas, Tex.