The days of having a mind as sharp as a tack are falling behind you. Those days you could remember all your friends’ phone numbers easily. Now you can barely remember your own phone number let alone the entire list of contacts. How often do you have to go through your phone book to look up a number you could have dialed in your sleep? How often do you miss your children’s or friends’ birthdays and find yourself buying belated birthday cards? A little bit of forgetfulness does not mean you are on the fast track to Alzheimer’s. It is nature’s way of reminding you that, sadly, yes, you are aging. But wait. Before you start feeling sorry for yourself, think about what you can do to prevent further memory lapses.
Physical exercise keeps your body fit, but what about your mind? Yes, there are mental exercises that keep your mind from “aging” too. Most of these mental exercises do not cost any money but will cost only a few minutes of your time. Let’s take a look at ten ways of how we can exercise our minds so that we can defy the aging process.
- Allow your body to get plenty of rest. A tired body will not work properly. Similarly, nor will a tired mind.
- Eat well and eat healthily. Proper nutrition is essential for your health. Certain foods help with your memory. These include oily fish, tomatoes, and blackcurrant and pumpkin seeds. Try and eat more of these foods.
- Avoid stress. Speak with your doctor about other mental problems such as depression. Memory lapses decrease when you have a positive outlook on life.
- Stop smoking and drink in moderation. Keep in mind both habits are bad and detrimental to your mental health, as well as, physical health.
- Interact with other people. Communication and interaction are vital to a healthy mind and body. Join a club or organization and get busy talking.
- Work on your curiosity. You may think you know everything about life now, but you don’t. Pick a topic every day and learn all you can about that topic. This task is made easier now with the internet. Come on, think of a subject, for example, unicorns, and gather all the knowledge you can about it.
- When you receive a telephone call, try and guess who it is before they identify themselves. This is an excellent way to exercise your mind.
- Do crossword puzzles and jumbles. These mental challenges will keep your mental fitness at a high point.
- Try doing math equations. These do not have to be difficult ones. Even your nine-year-old grandchild’s math book will suffice.
- Work on jigsaw puzzles and repeat it and try to break your record timing.
Although you are getting older, your mind does not have to. Work on these methods of exercising your mind and you will feel the results pretty soon. Many active adult communities enable their residents to exercise the mind as well as the body by providing them various amenities and facilities to do so. Your chances of a healthy body and mind are more if you considered living in one of these communities. There will be friends for companionship, games, and sports to keep you engaged and social connections to your mood up. Some such communities that you may just fall in love with are listed below.
- Bay Bridge Cove by McKee Builders – Stevensville, MD
- Barcelona by Shea Homes – Brentwood, CA
- Bayside Fenwick Island by Schell Brothers – Selbyville, DE
- Birchwood at Brambleton – Brambleton, VA
- Chelsea at Arcona by Charter Homes & Neighborhoods – Mechanicsburg, PA
These are just a handful of communities that will let you lead a fulfilling 55+ retired life. Living in these active senior communities will leave you feeling absolutely fresh and invigorated both in attitude and physical condition. Come and visit our website ActiveAdultLiving.com for more information on active adult communities across the US and in Canada.
