Research has shown that the brain is continuously changing and rewiring itself in response to demands and experiences of life and that it has a wonderful capacity to change and reinvent itself to be sharper, clearer and healthier.
STEP #1: Enjoy a Brain-Healthy Diet
Discover plant-based foods that can help prevent cognitive decline. The flexible, unrestrictive diet shown to reduce Alzheimer’s risk by up to 53% in a study. The best vitamins and nutrients for brain health and their food sources. Brain-damaging foods to avoid. Downloadable diet plans and recipes. And more.
STEP #2: Brain-Healthy Exercise
People who are more physically active are at less risk of dementia and score better on attention, verbal fluency, verbal memory and other cognitive abilities. Discover the benefits of three type of exercises plus mind/body exercises for better brain health. You’ll also get a printable exercise tracker to keep you motivated!
STEP #3: Brain-Healthy Sleep
Find out why getting the right amount of sleep is essential for locking long-term memory. Plus, see what to do if you have trouble falling asleep...daytime tips to improve nighttime sleep...non-drug approaches to help you relax and fall asleep...doctor-recommended over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids...and more.
STEP #4: Brain-Healthy Stress Management
Find out how chronic stress can damage your brain and lead to memory problems. Plus, discover practical tools and strategies to manage stress and boost resilience...stress-busting foods...how improving your gut health can relieve chronic stress...how to identify and deal with stress triggers...and more. PLUS: How stressed are you, really? Find out with our interactive quiz!
STEP #5: Brain-Healthy Relationships
Find out why healthy relationships are as important as physical activity and healthy diet for brain health. Discover simple steps to widen your social network...games that improve your ability to remember specific events...specific relationships that improve your ability to think on your feet...and more. PLUS: How lonely are you, really? Find out with our interactive quiz!
STEP #6: Brain-Healthy Challenges
Evidence shows that the more you stimulate your brain, the better you can protect yourself against the detrimental effects of aging. Discover the three rules for mental stimulation... how a certain puzzle can slow the onset of memory decline by as much as 2½ years...the astounding impact of computer-based brain training...and more.
The best exercises for your bones
| Just like every part of your body, your bones need maintenance to be healthy and strong. Exercise is one of the pillars of bone care and fall prevention. By taking steps now, you can help maintain the bone mass you have and may even build a little more, reducing your risk of debilitating fractures later in life. Certain types of exercise can increase muscle mass, which in turn enhances strength, muscle control, balance, and coordination. Good balance and coordination can mean the difference between falling—and suffering a fracture—and staying on your feet. In fact, strong evidence shows that regular physical activity can reduce falls by nearly a third in older adults at high risk of falling. All exercises for bone strength have one or more of the following attributes: Provide resistance.In these forms of exercise, you challenge your muscles by working against some type of resistance, such as dumbbells, elastic bands, or even your own body weight. Resistance exercises, including classic strength training, rely on muscle contractions that tug on bones to stimulate them to bulk up. Weight-bearing.Weight-bearing exercise is any activity, such as running, walking, dancing, hiking, climbing stairs, or playing tennis, golf, or basketball, in which you carry your body weight and work against gravity. This contrasts with non-weight-bearing activities such as swimming or cycling, where the water or bicycle supports your body weight. The force you exert to counteract gravity when you do weight-bearing activities is what stimulates bones to get stronger. Provide impact.When you land a jump or pound the ground with each step as you run, you multiply the weight-bearing effect of gravity. That's why higher-impact activities generally have a more pronounced effect on bone than lower-impact exercises. Higher velocity.Impact can be increased even more as your speed increases. For example, jogging or fast-paced aerobics will do more to strengthen your bones than a leisurely stroll or slow calisthenics exercises. Involve sudden changes of direction.Changing direction while you're moving also appears to benefit bones. When researchers reviewed bone strength in the hips of a variety of athletes, they found that those who played sports such as soccer and squash, which involve rapid turns and start-and-stop actions, had bone strength similar to those who did high-impact sports, like triple jumpers and high jumpers—and they all had greater bone density than long-distance runners. Improve balance.Exercises that target balance may not be the best for building bone, but they will help keep you from falling, so they also serve a bone-protecting function. |
Until Next time: Stay Safe, Stay Healthy and be Careful out in the World.
James A Vito, D.M.D.