Exercises to delay cognitive decline, according to expert

New ways of working, major changes in lifestyle habits and new, heavy routines make up a situation in which stress gains ground in many people. Given this, specialists call to improve diet, exercise and get in touch with nature as a way to take care of yourself.

The brain is one of the organs that is suffering the most at the present, so memory problems and other symptoms of cognitive deterioration are the order of the day. On this occasion, we will turn our attention to this topic, but this time on the recommendations of a prominent neuroscientist who seeks to help us take care of our mental health.

The Mayo Clinic Institute points out that mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate phase between the expected decline in memory, which is believed to occur with age, and the more severe decline of dementia. This can bring changes in memory, language or judgment, although they are not bad enough to affect daily life or usual activities, but something can always be done to improve it.

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The American neuroscientist Richard Restak points out that brain deterioration is not inevitable, but he emphasizes that we can overcome the daily difficulties of our memory. In pursuit of mental health, the expert focuses on memory and its connection with creative thinking, emphasizing the impact of technology and the identity that it represents for any human being.

Restak states that The most critical memory is work memory. Regarding this, he points out that it is located between immediate memory and long-term memory, in addition to being directly linked to intelligence and concentration. So, explains the neuroscientist, to delay cognitive deterioration and improve memory, it is necessary to strengthen the abilities of our brain and for this reason he shares the following 7 exercises that he recommends practicing.

Pay more attention: Restak points out that many memory lapses are actually attention problems. The specialist recommends associating certain words with an image, that way the new learning sticks better in our brain.

Find regular everyday memory challenges: An example is making a shopping list, but when you get to the supermarket, not taking it out of your pocket and trying to remember what we had written down. The idea is to try to visualize the annotated elements and the list should only be consulted after completing the search for the products. Memorizing a recipe or using the GPS less are everyday things that help your memory.

Play: The neuroscientist recommends games such as Chess, Bridge and 20 Questions as effective in activating memory. In addition, he points out as an exercise to use a piece of paper or an audio recorder to name all the presidents from the present to the past. The same work must then be done from past to present. The difficulty escalates when they can be divided by political party and then when sorting them alphabetically.

Read more novels: For Restak, reading fiction requires the reader’s active engagement with the text, so it is a good exercise for our brain.

Avoid distraction with technology: The use of technology can bring two problems. The first is to use devices to store everything there, something that has a negative impact on our mind because it is not exercised. Secondly, because it is a distracting element that focuses our attention on what we do and thus we lose the ability to concentrate on the present.

Consult a mental health professional: It will always be the health professional who can help us understand what is happening in our head. One of the main causes of memory loss, explains Restak, is depression, so an accurate diagnosis can help us a lot.

Identify when to worry: Restak invites us to know how to determine when something we forget is normal and when it is atypical and even serious. It is at that moment when forgetting something is really worrying and it is recommended to consult with an expert.