Image by eyeliam via Flickr
THE JOY OF MIDDLE AGE
Barbara Strauch, Science Editor of the New York Times and author of the book, THE SECRET LIFE OF THE GROWN-UP BRAIN: THE SURPRISING TALENTS OF THE MIDDLE-AGED MIND, has some good news for my brain and the brains of my fellow Baby Boomers.
- Brains continue to improve through middle age.
- Middle age is now considered ages 40 – 70.
- The brain’s performance reaches its peak in middle age.
- Forgetfulness in middle age is merely distraction.
- In middle age, we are finally “ripe, ready and whole”.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BRAIN IMPROVEMENT
If you cannot remember a name, go through the alphabet in your head – A, B, C–which many trigger the memory in your mind.
Exercise. What is good for your heart is good for your brain. Get your heart pumping.
If you want to remember to take your medication, imagine yourself taking it. This creates a bigger neural footprint in your brain, which increases ways for your bran to remember.
Get out of your comfort zone. Take up a hobby–piano lessons or knitting–that will challenge your brain.
EDITORS NOTE: In some ways I am doing well in taking action to improve the resiliency of my brain. I exercise religiously, go to yoga, get enough sleep, and started learning Spanish last fall with my husband. The challenge for me is keeping focused through all the distractions that come with adulthood responsibilities. Unfortunately, the battle to eat healthily is an ongoing and eternal.
How do you stack up?
