Aging changes the way your body works, and that includes the health of your brain. While you can exercise and eat well to gain some control over physical changes, you can keep your brain young by adopting certain habits and lifestyle changes. Use these apps, resources, and tips to help you challenge your mind and keep your brain young.
1. Stimulate your brain
Keeping your mind active is one of the best ways to maintain and improve cognitive function. A study published in Aging Research Reviews stated that mental stimulation activities improved some aspects of cognitive performance in older adults. With apps like Elevate, Lumosity, NeuroNation, and Duolingo, you can effectively train your brain.
Raise is an award-winning app that helps you improve a wide range of mental abilities. Use fun mini-games that focus on skills like memory, math, vocabulary, and comprehension. You also get a comprehensive skills assessment report that you can improve over time. Elevate is backed by research and has been shown to be effective for many long-term users.
Lumosity and NeuroNation Help improve your problem solving skills using a similar gamified approach. Learning a new language also provides great mental stimulation. Apps like Duolingo make the language learning process much easier. Illustrations and native pronunciation on Duolingo can help you learn a new language while improving your cognitive skills.
2. Focus on fitness
Physical activity is crucial to improving the health of your brain. a study in Developmental Neurorehabilitation has shown that physical activity can improve memory and help produce new neurons. However, starting and following an exercise routine is quite a challenge. Therefore, apps and fitness trackers can be useful tools.
While there are several training apps to choose from, 7 minute workout it is perfect for beginners. It has a simple interface that allows you to choose any challenge and complete a workout in seven minutes. You can increase the difficulty of the exercises as you improve.
Along with strength training, aerobic exercises like running, swimming, and biking are great for your mind and body. On your next run, try the map of my career app It is one of the most popular running apps that accurately tracks your runs and can sync data from your wearable fitness devices.
Plus, it gives you real-time haptic updates on your run. Features like personalized training plans, audio feedback, and live location tracking make it one of the best running apps. Fitness trackers like the Fitbit Inspire 3, Garmin watches, and Apple Watch measure your performance, sleep, and well-being. Therefore, fitness trackers can motivate you and keep you accountable.
3. Practice caloric restriction
Intermittent fasting is a popular form of caloric restriction with several health benefits. A study published in the CMLS journal claims that caloric restriction can increase longevity and even prevent age-related diseases in mammals. If you are new to fasting, various web resources and mobile apps can guide you through your fasting journey.
the 21 day hero website is a helpful resource for fasting. You can learn about evidence-based fasting techniques, tips for creating a fasting schedule, and daily meal plans. This website covers detailed guides for different types of fasting, such as the 16:8 method, detox fasting, anabolic fasting, and more.
Also, you can try a mobile fasting tracker like Zero. Zero is an Android and iOS app that makes it easy to track your fasts and wellness. Also fits keto, vegan, paleo, and low carb diets.
You can set custom timers, access detailed stats from wearable fitness devices, track your mood, and get fasting insights. Zero also adds gamification to the fast using reward badges. That makes it more fun and easier to follow.
4. Build Social Networks
Maintaining healthy social ties is an essential component of mental health. That becomes more relevant as you get older. A 2020 study in the Gerontology Journals has shown that social engagement can be helpful in improving cognition and protecting against dementia.
Meet up is one of the best resources for interacting with like-minded people and pursuing a hobby. Whether you want to explore the outdoors, play board games, or join a book club, there’s probably a group for your interests that you can join.
Also, Meetup has a section dedicated to making new friends. Here you can find all upcoming events and filter them according to your interests. If you work remotely, this can help with loneliness and give yourself a boost of happiness.
Bumble BFF is another service that can help you build a healthy social life. It is a popular friend matching app that connects people with similar interests. You can chat and meet someone on the app before meeting them in person. Bumble BFF offers a great way to build meaningful connections.
5. Keep anxiety away
Maintaining a self-care routine for your mental health is essential. While in-person therapy is ideal for some people, it is also expensive and sometimes inconvenient. Telehealth and self-care apps can be extremely helpful and much more convenient.
conversation space is one of the best remote therapy services that offers low-cost sessions with a certified therapist. In addition to individual therapy, you can also explore couples therapy, adolescent therapy, and psychiatric help. Talkspace also accepts some insurance plans, making it even more cost-effective.
self care apps like Ingrained Y wysa are excellent options for daily anxiety control. Rootd has several features that calm you down during bouts of anxiety. For example, him Root The feature is a panic button that, when pressed, uses CBT techniques to help you deal with panic attacks on the spot. You can also try breathing exercises, journaling, and visualization to stay grounded and feel less anxious.
Focus on physical and mental fitness
Consistent and deliberate action is important for lasting results. Like physical changes, cognition enhancement is a long and ongoing process. So, be patient and focus on developing better habits.
Start with daily strength-training exercises and brain-boosting games. Set daily reminders for yourself and track your performance over time to motivate you to keep up your self-care streak. With these apps and resources, you can challenge your brain and help keep it strong.
