Crossword puzzle, Sudoku, chess, and other brain-training apps have believed to be the secret to keep our brain young. This is how it has been marketed to us. While these activities help us improve certain cognitive skills and are enjoyed very much, they are only one small piece of the puzzle.
Ageing of a human brain depends more on their every healthy habit and not on solving puzzles or daily crossword. Human brain has a property called neuroplasticity. What I mean here is our brain is like flexible clay. It is always adapting on what we do every day. Every time you learn some new skill or experience something new or make minor changes in your daily routine, our brain builds new ways to adapt. What’s important to know is its ability to adapt declines with age, it needs proactive support via physical, mental, and social activities.
How the brain ages
Ageing is an inevitable biological reality. Starting in our 30s and 40s, minor changes happen in the brain that continue as we age. As we age, some brain cells get smaller, and the brain receives less blood flow. Additionally, the chemicals that help us think decline, and nerve cells struggle to communicate with one another. Certain age-related shifts like forgetfulness, difficulty recalling names or needing more time to process any new information must not be confused with dementia. These are part of ageing.
When memory changes need attention
Persistent memory problems that interrupt the daily life should not be ignored. Signs like getting lost in familiar places, difficulty in managing money, or taking medication, evident personality changes. Early information helps evaluate the disorder at an early stage and treatment may be more effective.
Are puzzles enough?
Activities like Sudoku or crosswords engage the brain. Skills like memory attention, language and problem-solving are challenged. However, if performing the same task repeatedly only improves performance in that specific activity, although these actions do not guarantee protection against age-related cognitive decline or dementia.
Solving Sudoku daily will sharpen your puzzle-solving skills, but it won’t necessarily protect your brain against dementia or age-related cognitive decline.
The human brain thrives on novelty, challenge, and change. When we tackle unfamiliar tasks, different neural networks are forced to collaborate, effectively giving the brain a rigorous workout. This process strengthens our cognitive thinking that helps the brain resist the effects of ageing and disease.
Examples include
Indulging in new hobby like gardening, painting, knitting or photography
Travelling and enjoying unknown environments
Taking up dance as a new skill
Learning a new language
Learning musical instruments
Upscaling digital skills
The aim is to keep yourself busy yet constantly exposing the brain to new and meaningful experiences.
Movement is brain medicine
Exercise is one of the strongest scientifically proven method to the protect the brain. Physical activities like walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, or weightlifting 3-4 days a week will immensely benefit the brain health. Physical exercise improves blood flow, elevates oxygen delivery, reduces inflammation and mainly increases the release of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) also called as a fertiliser for brain cells. BDNF helps the growth, repair and survival of neurons while strongly creating a connection between learning and memory. Physically active persons show lower risk of stroke, depression and dementia.
Sleep: The brain’s overnight maintenance system
Many people frequently treat sleep as an afterthought, despite being most important to our health. Deep sleep is like nighttime maintenance for the mind, it declutters the day’s mental clutter, locks in what you’ve learned, and stabilises your mood. Proper sleep routine is linked to poor concentration, poor memory, mood swings and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. An adult should aim for 7-8 hours of good sleep every night and have a proper sleep schedule too.
Food that nourishes the brain
The brain makes up just 2% of body weight yet consumes nearly 20% of your body’s energy. Hence, nutrition plays a major role in maintaining its function.
A diet that is rich in whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fish rich omega 3 fatty acids, healthy oils like olive oil and fresh fruits and vegetables. Limit or avoid excessive sugar, processed food, unhealthy fats, alcohol, which in turn will help in reducing inflammation, support the blood vessels that nourish the brain.
I must also point out that what make the heart happy makes the brain happy; so, one must keep their blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, obesity under control.
Keep the brain engaged
Meaningful social interaction exercises your brain, keeping memory, focus, and emotional processing sharp. Conversely, loneliness and isolation can accelerate cognitive decline. To protect your brain and boost your mood, simply stay connected through regular conversations, volunteering, or spending time with family and friends.
By Dr Sai Prashanth PR, consultant, Neurologist and Neurointerventionist, MGM Malar Hospital, Chennai