Dementia is a process of memory loss, which can affect various thinking abilities. Dementia should be necessarily controlled as prolonged conditions can also cause Alzheimer's disease. This article discusses ten ways to “Mental gymnastics,” which will help you combat dementia.Â
1. Exercise
Jogging, walking in circles, Yoga, Aerobics, and other exercises can be helpful in mental gymnastics. Exercise helps people to develop new nerve cells and upsurge the connections between brain cells. These exercises increase the oxygen and blood flow to the brain. The higher blood flow increases brain activity, which wards off cognitive decline and helps the erosion of dementia.
2. A Mediterranean-Style Diet
In a Mediterranean diet, you should limit red meat. You can include whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil in your diet. Poultry, fish, and dairy products should be consumed moderately. This eating pattern reduces the MCI (Mild cognitive impairment) development risk. Your cardiovascular health improves, and a Mediterranean-style diet protects against cognitive decline. Thus, it is supportive to slow down dementia and combat it.
3. Sleep
Getting quality and consistent sleep can be influential in preventing cognitive decline and improving overall health. Seven to eight hours of sleep a night is necessary for the strong functioning of the brain. Studies show that people who sleep less than this score lower on mental functioning tests. So, seven to eight hours of night sleep can improve brain functioning. This can reduce dementia as memories and learning are consolidated during sleep.
4. Stress Management
Stress management can be done using restful sleep, meditation, friendships, and other pleasure activities. Managing stress is important as prolonged or long-term stress hormones can damage the hippocampus, the brain's key region to store memory. A positive approach to stress management can be helpful for better brain functioning and optimizing memory, which can be supportive to combat dementia.
5. Build Social Networks
Social networks and connections can be as important as a healthy diet. These are also important for the protection of memory and cognitive function. Depression usually attacks people who are lonely and causes a faster cognitive decline. People with strong social ties have a reduced risk of dementia and longer life expectancy. So, engage with your family, friends, relatives, and others to combat dementia and loneliness.
6. Mental Stimulation
Mental stimulation activities include reading, writing, playing board or card games, playing crossword puzzles, group discussions, listening to music, and playing guitar or other instruments. All these activities can keep you mentally active. This continued participation in mental stimulation activities can cure cognitive and functional decline caused by dementia.
7. Improve Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (HBP) can cause cognitive decline and dementia. Modifying your lifestyle to keep your blood pressure as low as possible is recommended. Regular exercise, a healthy diet with low salt, and maintaining a proper weight can help you avoid any chances of HBP. You can also work with your healthcare professional to maintain low BP levels in order to avoid dementia.
8. Improve Your Blood Sugar Levels
Diabetes can also cause dementia. Eating the right food at the time is important to combat diabetes and maintain your blood sugar levels. People with high blood sugar are advised to do exercises regularly and stay lean. In addition, medication can be helpful to achieve good control of blood sugar so that dementia can be easily dealt with.
9. Protect Your Head
Protect your head from injuries. Any moderate or severe head injury increases cognitive impairment. It is advised to wear a helmet when biking, skating, skiing, and in other activities. Drive safely to avoid accidents. And if you have an eyesight problem, you should wear glasses or contact lenses in any case.
10. Education
Research shows that education helps the development of brain synapses. These junctions between brain cells transmit information from one cell to another. More synapses are a great cognitive reserve to help combat dementia.
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