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Simple Brain Exercises for Seniors

Mar 28, 2010 | By Robin Mar
Simple Brain Exercises for Seniors
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According to researchers at the Franklin Institute, new brain cells and connections linking them can form at any age in response to learning new skills. Seniors can strengthen their brains by doing simple brain exercises regularly.
Dr. Peter J. Snyder of the University of Connecticut Center on Aging warns that many of the current brain exercise products, such as computer games and website activities, sold to seniors as "brain training," may have inflated claims, including their promises to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Snyder notes that simple brain exercises, including regular mental, social and physical activities, have been scientifically tested and appear helpful to seniors who currently have healthy brains and wish to strengthen them.

Mental Exercises

The American Geriatrics Society, in a tip sheet, "Sharp At Any Age," points out that seniors can increase connections within their brains by regularly learning new things. This can be accomplished through activities such as solving different types of crossword puzzles, studying a new language, reading about new subjects and learning to play a new musical instrument.
One example of helpful mental exercises to strengthen the brain was shown in a 2008 Japanese study by Professors S. Uchida and R. Kawashima of Tohoku University. Professors Uchida and Kawashima found that seniors who solved basic math and reading problems every day for six months showed improved cognitive skills for six months after the end of the study.

Social Exercises

The American Geriatrics Society also emphasizes that social activities keep the brain healthy. Seniors may wish to consider joining a discussion group or social club, taking a class at a local community college, getting a part-time paid or volunteer job, regularly attending a place of worship, reading to grandchildren and acquiring a pet.

Physical Exercises

"Improve Your Brain," an essay by the Franklin Institute, suggests doing old activities in new ways to encourage brain cell growth. One technique seniors can try is regularly using the opposite hand from the one they normally use when moving a computer mouse, brushing their teeth and holding a television remote control.
Physical exercises of all kinds are good for the brain. Professors Teresa Liu-Ambrose and M. G. Donaldson of the University of British Columbia's Physical Therapy Department found in a 2009 study that both aerobic exercises and resistance training enhanced seniors' brain functions.
Seniors who are not interested in aerobic exercise or strength training programs, or who cannot participate in those programs because of medical conditions, should focus on less strenuous exercises, including walking regularly. Seniors should consult their physicians and physical therapists for assistance in developing sets of exercises best suited to their personal medical conditions.

Strengthening Mental Functioning

The National Institute on Aging, in an article, "The Changing Brain in Healthy Aging," notes that seniors most likely to suffer mental decline are not learning new things, are socially isolated and getting little exercise.
While engaging in simple brain exercises does not guarantee that a senior will never get Alzheimer's disease or other brain dysfunctions, simple brain exercises do appear to strengthen the brain's functioning.

References

Article reviewed by AnnF Last updated on: Mar 28, 2010

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