Advanced age is frequently accompanied by impairment of the memory. This happens because of a general decline in brain activity related to the age, reduction of the excitability of nerve cells, connections’ disturbances between neurons. Unfortunately, the aging process cannot be stopped and is irreversible, but to keep the clarity of mind to the very old age is for the most part in our power. Let’s talk about how to improve memory in old age.
General rules
1. Healthy surrounding conditions. It’s simple – for a good memory you need healthy functioning of the brain, and for this in its turn, it is necessary each day to maintain healthy surrounding conditions of work and recreation. Namely:
· do not work on the verge of physical or mental overstrain;
· rest every day, every week, every year;
· daily walk in the air.
2. Regular physical activity. For the good brain function a good blood circulation is needed, for which it is important to exercise regularly, to keep the muscles of the body in good shape. During physical exercises blood circulation improves, and therefore, the brain receives more nutrients. It is also helpful to walk. Useful are also anaerobic exercises, they include jogging and strength training. With regard to the age, it is best to train under the supervision of a trainer. He will help to make the training program based on your medical condition, age, experience, and past diseases.
3. Proper nutrition. For the good functioning of the brain it is necessary to eat healthy. Thus scientists have determined that in the daily diet of an elderly person fatty acids omega-3 should be present (fish is rich in them). Blueberry juice also has a positive influence on brain. It is this berry which is the most rich in antioxidants. They have a beneficial effect on the body and slow down the degradation process. Glucose intake is also important. Doctors often prescribe to elderly patients special medications with high glucose content. This component is essential for the normal functioning of memory, but with age it becomes harder to absorb it from food, so it is better to take pills. Nootropics also help to improve blood circulation in the brain. But remember that any medical products should be prescribed only by a doctor.
Tips on how to improve memory in the elderly
Aside from exercise and a special diet, what else can be done to improve memory in the elderly?
1. It is important to “load” memory. Learning a foreign language, logic tasks solving, doing puzzles – all that makes the “brain work”, that is, to remember, recall, to think. Any activity where your head has to handle a large amount of information will work in favor of your memory.
2. During each hour of work it’s important to do short breaks. You can get up, walk around the room and do some physical exercises. Thus the brain will switch from one activity to another, and it would benefit its functioning.
3. It is necessary to try to avoid stress and emotional experiences, as they lead to a loss of nerve cells, due to which reduction in attention and memory impairment occur. Chronic sleep deprivation can be referred to as stress to the body. For a complete relaxation of the brain, it is very important to get enough sleep every day.
4. A personal organizer can also help with senile forgetfulness. Now in stores there is a great variety of notebooks of different sizes and colors. Any person will find something to his liking. It is possible to record in it all the important dates and schedule actings. This will allow to “unload the head”.
5. Reading books trains memory well, because while reading not only visual memory works, but also motor memory and logical, associative and abstract thinking develop. But to improve your memory it is important not just to read, you need to do it properly, with the retelling of what you’ve read, as best of all we train our memory at the time when we recall the read! It is useful during the reading to mark the details of nature and temper of the main characters, their habits and the like. After reading a book recall all the storylines. Such memory training will benefit.
6. The peculiarity of all genius people is attention to details, when meeting a new person they can immediately see a lot of small details and remember them. Brilliant people are people with a well-functioning head, it is indisputable. Therefore, to improve memory in the elderly, it is possible to adopt this method of talented minds and to try to learn to be more attentive. To do this, you should try to look at any chosen object carefully, noting the details of its appearance, and then try to reproduce the details in your memory. Make it your useful habit.
7. There is a useful exercise to improve your memory at any age – learning poems by heart. Choose any poet interesting for you and start learning all his works by heart. And then recollect at any time.
8. People have known already quite for a long that music lessons are incredibly good for improvement of brain function. In advanced age you can sing yourself when you are alone at home or join a choir, or start learning playing some musical instrument, or you can do all together at once. Rehearsals, learning new texts, music, mastering new skills, help the brain to receive the load, which has a positive impact on the state of memory.
9. Do not forget about the psychology. Positive attitude helps to cope with any task. Elderly people are more susceptible to depression then all the others, but depression also leads to deterioration of memory. Such attitudes, as: “I am too old to learn new things,” “I am, after 30 years (40, 50, etc.) is useless,” and so forth, not only lead to the undermining of self-esteem, but also indirectly lead to memory impairment. Therefore, it is important to set yourself up correctly. Believe that life does not end in old age, but is just beginning – children have grown up, the work is over, there is a pension, it is possible live for your pleasure!
10. At any age it is useful to master the techniques and methods of mnemotechnics (mnemonics) – a science of making things easier to remember by forming associations, replacement of memorized objects and facts for familiar concepts and ideas.
