Keeping your mind sharp in retirement can help prevent cognitive decline, dementia, and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Mental sharpness also boosts mood while reducing stress and anxiety, so it’s important to participate in activities that heighten mental acuity. Here are several ways to stay keen in your golden years.
1. Get Adequate Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is the solution to many issues, including cognitive decline. Several studies show adequate sleep improves problem-solving skills, attentiveness, decision-making, and learning. Sleep deficiency leads to difficulty controlling emotions and behavior, problem-solving, making decisions, and coping with changes.
2. Stay Physically Active
Exercise has many known benefits for overall health, including advantages for the brain. Alzheimer’s Society informs regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 45%, and the risk for dementia is reduced by around 28%. Those are significant numbers that motivate exercising in retirement. Retirees should exercise for 30 to 60 minutes at least four to five times per week.
3. Eat Brain-Boosting Foods
Having a diet rich in brain-boosting foods is another way to stay sharp and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Some examples of delicious brain-boosting foods are fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, berries, olive oil (one country origin), leafy green vegetables, and nuts.
4. Jigsaw
Multiple studies show that putting jigsaw puzzles together is a potential proactive factor for cognitive aging. Doing jigsaw puzzles has many other benefits, such as reducing stress, improving concentration and memory, and improving mental speed and thought processes.
5. Learn a New Language
Learning another language keeps the brain sharp by improving memory and boosting other mental functions. Countless studies demonstrate the cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages. Bilingual people also have improved visual-spatial skills and spark higher creativity.
6. Read
Good news for avid readers! Reading stimulates your brain while offering many other benefits, including improving memory, better sleep, and reducing stress. Another fun fact about reading is that it nurtures a growth in empathy, something the world desperately needs today.
7. Play Brain and Puzzle Games
Brain and puzzle games are a fun way to keep a strong and sharpened mind. Retirees enjoy Sudoku, Rummikub, Boggle, Scrabble, and dozens others. Chess is another mentally stimulating game. If physical games aren’t your favorite, video games such as Tetris and Dr. Mario are ideal substitutions.
8. Listen to Music
Listening to your favorite music is not only a sound-satisfying pleasure; it also mentally stimulates the brain and can help reduce stress and improve cognition and memory. Listening to music you know best, or even sounds of nature, are great options.
9. Learn a New Skill
Like learning another language, learning a new skill is a brain exercise that improves memory. One of the best places in the world to learn new things for free is on YouTube. However, taking classes is a fantastic way to meet people and make new friends in retirement.
10. Play Card Games
Card games entertain cognitive skills like critical thinking, concentration, attention span, and improved memory. Retirees benefit from getting together to play card games, including cribbage, hearts, rummy, and crazy eights. Alternatively, seniors can sharpen their brains by playing solitaire from an app.
11. Take Up Tai-Chi
Tai chi is a slow-moving martial art that helps keep your brain sharp through focused breathing and gentle movements. It’s been shown to prevent falls, improve balance, and help slow cognitive decline.
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