Mentally stimulating tasks create more brain cells and connections among cells. Having more brain cells, or cognitive reserves, enables us to withstand the challenges of age, notes a study in the June 2003 issue of the “British Medical Journal.” Leisure activities such as playing board games, reading, crossword puzzles, knitting and playing an instrument all stimulate learning in the brain and may reduce the risk of dementia.
Why is mental exercise so important?Just as the body needs physical exercise to keep fit, the brain needs mental exercise to stay active and alive. Mental exercise stimulates the brain, often providing long-lasting positive effects regarding thinking and reasoning skills, memory and processing speed.
There are a number of people that never show any signs of an age-related decline in cognitive functions. However, there is a greater number older people that do experience a loss of cognitive skills and abilities to varying degrees. For most of them the decline is part of the aging process caused by the death of brain cells. For others, dementia is the result of an illness or disease such as Alzheimer´s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis or Huntington’s Disease.
What are Cognitive Skills?
Cognition or cognitive skills refers to mental abilities including memory, attention, language, perception, and problem solving. Cognitive functions enable us to learn and remember, to concentrate, to communicate, to understand the world, carry out everyday actions and solve problems.
Cognitive impairment can range from mild to severe. With mild impairment, individuals may begin to notice changes in their mental abilities (e.g difficulty remembering a conversation, concentrating on a book, word finding problems, difficulties cooking, using money), but still be able to complete everyday activities. Severe impairment can lead to losing the ability to remember things, to recognise people, places or objects, to talk or write, and to carry out basic actions, resulting in the inability to live independently.
Great Activities That Strengthen Cognitive Skills
There are many types of activities that help to maintain and improve the cognitive skills. Some of them involve everyday activities like reading newspaper, writing letters, looking up information on internet, others are mind-challenging activities like playing board games, making crafts and solving puzzles.
Everyday Activities
One of the most important cognitive activities is engaging and meaningful conversation. Often as people age, they withdraw from social interaction, getting fewer opportunities to talk to others about things that are important to them. By asking their opinions and advice on situations, current affairs and events, their minds are stimulated and they experience a feeling of self-worth.
Reading involves language and cognition that exercises the brain. A study at the Mayo Clinic found that middle-aged people who read books or magazines are less likely to develop memory loss. Reading is a great cognitive exercise and can help prevent future memory loss.
Slightly changing an everyday routine is another way to enhance cognitive skills. Examples include using the opposite hand to hold the toothbrush when brushing your teeth, writing your name or dialing a telephone.
Hobbies and Crafts
Learning a new hobby or taking up a craft are excellent ways for (not only) elderly individuals to keep their brains active and alert. These activities stimulate the brain cells and often provide interaction with others. Finding something that interests the person provides them with enjoyment and a sense of positive self-esteem. Many of these activities also help the elderly to maintain eye and hand coordination and fine motor skills. These activities engage and stimulate the brain even more by sending it electrical impulses that signal pleasure from the activity. If the person has a physical limitation such as a shortened attention span, arthritis or poor eye-to-hand coordination, a craft or hobby can be modified in ways so they can still enjoy being part of things that make them happy (e.g. using bright colours and thicker crochet hook when crocheting).
The following are examples of crafts and hobbies that are usually well enjoyed: drawing, painting, knitting, playing music, scrapbooking, woodworking, making mosaics using tiles or colored paper, photographing
Games and Puzzles
Playing games and solving puzzles are excellent cognitive activities for everybody. These activities, demand working memory and reasoning skills. Dominoes, checkers, chess, card games, scrabble, bingo, jigsaw puzzles, crossword, word search, sudoku come in different levels and are great fun too!
Findings of current research suggest that supportive care for older adults should incorporate activities that stimulate their cognitive skills. These together with physical activities, social engagement, and nutrition support successful cognitive aging. Cognitive interventions support older adults in maintaining self-care as well as cognitive performance into advanced ages.
