Brain Exercises For Seniors

The brain is the backbone of the body. It is directly responsible for controlling motor function, personality, and cognitive function. When people age, their brain begins to shrink, and connections are lost between memory-forming centers of the mind. This creates difficulties in remembering people and facts and the ability to conduct various physical actions. Therefore, maintaining brain health is essential in aging well. Seniors that practice brain exercises multiple times a week may have an easier time recalling details better than those that don’t. There are hundreds of brain exercises for seniors – try some of the ones below.

Puzzles

Word and logic puzzles can provide seniors with mental stimulation and challenge them to use their minds to think about solutions. This acts as a brain workout and sharpens cognitive function. Games like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and putting together jigsaw puzzle pieces are great ways to improve focus and reinforce memory.

Mental Math

By doing math in your head, cognition is known to improve. Going through simple and complex mental addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems stimulate focus and consolidate previous forms of knowledge. It’s also rewarding – when a problem is answered correctly, dopamine may be released, enhancing mood. Having a paid caregiver write math problems down for their clients can give seniors needed mental boosts.

Memory is one of the first aspects of the mind to decrease as people age. To train the brain for memory improvement, try some memory games. For example, have your CDPAP caregiver arrange your room in a certain way. Then, close your eyes and have them rearrange, add, or remove objects. When you open your eyes, try to identify what has changed. This can help train senior cognition by working brain areas associated with recall.

Studies show that the physical act of dancing or learning a dance move is tied to increased cognitive function. Specifically, dancing can increase the speed that your brain actively processes stimuli and enhances memory. Senior-safe dances are available for all mobility levels. From chair dancing to ballroom and Zumba, the options are endless. So grab your caretaker, family member, or dance partner and have fun!

Finding time to meditate can improve brain function. Meditation involves slowing your breath and emptying the mind, simply focusing on the present rather than your imminent thoughts. In older ages, it is known to offset age-related cognitive decline. When seniors make it a goal to meditate, they may experience decreased side effects of mental aging.

If you’re looking for extra support for yourself or your senior loved one, consider hiring a home care professional. Trained experts will help your senior family member with brain exercises that can help maintain their cognitive function. Rockaway Home Care is here for a great part-time or full-time home care aide. Reach out to learn how we can help you or your family member today.