In The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us, authors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons assert, "It might seem counterintuitive, but the best thing you can do to preserve and maintain mental abilities may have little to do with cognition at all."
Like most seniors, I noticed a decline in my cognitive skills as I aged, especially when I broke the Medicare barrier. Some examples: my ability to pay attention; my slowness in retrieving information; my difficulty in quickly switching from one task to another.
And like most seniors, I have been enticed to "exercise my brain" by a variety of entrepreneurs, including Mozart CD sellers, video game purveyors, and chess, crossword, and Sudoku publishers.
As Chabris and Simons noted, there have been scientific studies into the mental benefits of playing chess, listening to Mozart CDs and using certain software programs like Brain Age, Medal of Honor, Tetris, or Rise of Nations.
And a number of these studies do show you can improve a specific skill, say your ability to pay attention, by "exercising your brain" — but it requires considerable time and effort and the specific skill enhanced is not necessarily transferable to other mental tasks. For example, if you spend hours doing Sudoku puzzles you will get better at doing them, but where you put your car keys may still be a problem.
As we age some loss of cognitive functioning is inevitable, but Chabris and Simons emphasize that there is one activity for which there is significant scientific evidence for a "healthier and younger" brain: aerobic exercise. Doing an aerobic exercise, i.e., an activity that increases the heartbeat and the supply of oxygen to the body, for as little as 30 minutes three times a week can lead to clear improvement in doing mental tasks, especially in what are called "executive functions" like planning and multitasking.
In addition, Chabris and Simmons mention one study where seniors walking aerobically for 45 minutes three days a week actually preserved more gray matter in their frontal brain regions compared to another group of seniors that had only done stretching and toning exercises for the same amount of time.
After learning about the benefits of aerobic exercise for a healthier and younger brain, it was a "no brainer" that I should start doing something with my new knowledge. The thought of climbing mountains, running marathons, or speed racing on a bike, however, had me reaching for my Sudoku book. I decided on walking three days a week. I also added small "aerobic bursts" by going up stairs in a vigorous manner or occasionally jogging in place for a minute or two.
I still do Sudoku and crossword puzzles for enjoyment, but for my brain health, I have gone aerobic. Walking vigorously on a regular basis has also improved my mood, and of course, it's good for the heart.
Aerobic exercise for a better mood, healthier heart, and healthier brain: What's not to like? After checking with your doctor that it is safe for you to do an aerobic exercise, get that heartbeat going and oxygen flowing.
Contact the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .