Exercises and activities for the minds of our elders
Have you ever stopped to think about the amount of information our brain stores? Much of that information consists of our life's memories, possibly the most precious thing we can store. That's why it's essential to take care of our brains so that our memory lasts as long as possible over the years.
Memory is a function of our brain that allows us to encode and store all types of information we acquire through experience and learning. Memory allows people to maintain a continuous and coherent view of their lives. However, as we age, the brain undergoes various changes that sometimes directly affect our memory. It's very common for older people to begin experiencing memory lapses, which, while frustrating, are not a cause for concern. Memory loss manifests itself in different ways depending on the individual. It's important to differentiate between normal memory lapses in older people and the deterioration associated with dementia.
But fortunately, with the advancement of science and research, it has been confirmed that the brain, like any other muscle in our body, needs to be exercised to continue functioning properly. Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, can be maintained throughout life, as long as we put our brain to work. And there are many ways to achieve this:
Furthermore, it is an activity that requires not only cognitive skills but also motor skills. Due to its complexity, it requires certain mental processes that stimulate neuronal development, motor automation, phonological processing, language, attention, memory, analysis, and abstraction, thus bringing many benefits to those who practice it.
When we put together a puzzle, our brain performs a series of exercises to find the relationship between the images on the pieces and remember what we've seen before. This activity also improves concentration, fosters patience, and reduces anxiety.
As for card games, in addition to being a memory exercise that helps people retain information and even develop strategies, they are a very fun activity that facilitates socializing, even among people of different generations.
As for the clock, another exercise that can help improve memory is interpreting time on hands and digital clocks, not only defining the time on each of them but also changing how a given time would be represented on one type of clock or another.
These types of games help exercise visual memory, which is key to reading and writing, as it helps us connect visual and verbal aspects. It can also help us remember familiar places or faces.
Other visual memory games include finding the differences between two images, matching pairs of cards, etc.
Learning to speak a language, play an instrument, learn new songs, visit museums, attend lectures, or participate in any other cultural activity. It's never too late to learn new things.
Through cognitive stimulation, anyone can improve their abilities such as language, memory, and attention. This activity is intended for everyone due to its benefits; however, it is especially geared toward older adults undergoing normal aging, even those without dementia or memory loss, as well as those with mild cognitive impairment and those with mild dementia.
Older adults often report difficulty remembering things they used to recall easily, difficulty finding the right words when they need to, or forgetting where they put certain objects. In many cases, these deficits are due to normal aging, but in others, they can be a warning sign that can lead to neurodegenerative processes.
Memory is a function of our brain that allows us to encode and store all types of information we acquire through experience and learning. Memory allows people to maintain a continuous and coherent view of their lives. However, as we age, the brain undergoes various changes that sometimes directly affect our memory. It's very common for older people to begin experiencing memory lapses, which, while frustrating, are not a cause for concern. Memory loss manifests itself in different ways depending on the individual. It's important to differentiate between normal memory lapses in older people and the deterioration associated with dementia.
But fortunately, with the advancement of science and research, it has been confirmed that the brain, like any other muscle in our body, needs to be exercised to continue functioning properly. Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, can be maintained throughout life, as long as we put our brain to work. And there are many ways to achieve this:
- Read
Furthermore, it is an activity that requires not only cognitive skills but also motor skills. Due to its complexity, it requires certain mental processes that stimulate neuronal development, motor automation, phonological processing, language, attention, memory, analysis, and abstraction, thus bringing many benefits to those who practice it.
- Puzzles and card games
When we put together a puzzle, our brain performs a series of exercises to find the relationship between the images on the pieces and remember what we've seen before. This activity also improves concentration, fosters patience, and reduces anxiety.
As for card games, in addition to being a memory exercise that helps people retain information and even develop strategies, they are a very fun activity that facilitates socializing, even among people of different generations.
- Calendar and clock exercises
As for the clock, another exercise that can help improve memory is interpreting time on hands and digital clocks, not only defining the time on each of them but also changing how a given time would be represented on one type of clock or another.
- Memorization games
These types of games help exercise visual memory, which is key to reading and writing, as it helps us connect visual and verbal aspects. It can also help us remember familiar places or faces.
Other visual memory games include finding the differences between two images, matching pairs of cards, etc.
- Learn
Learning to speak a language, play an instrument, learn new songs, visit museums, attend lectures, or participate in any other cultural activity. It's never too late to learn new things.
Through cognitive stimulation, anyone can improve their abilities such as language, memory, and attention. This activity is intended for everyone due to its benefits; however, it is especially geared toward older adults undergoing normal aging, even those without dementia or memory loss, as well as those with mild cognitive impairment and those with mild dementia.Older adults often report difficulty remembering things they used to recall easily, difficulty finding the right words when they need to, or forgetting where they put certain objects. In many cases, these deficits are due to normal aging, but in others, they can be a warning sign that can lead to neurodegenerative processes.