Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

The Pinecone | September 2018 • 5 • MIND & BODY ACTIVE Keep i ng You r Please join us September 19th at 1:30 pm in the PAC for our Smart Moves presentation on this topic. As we get older, the deterioration of the mind and body is unavoidable. It’s just part of the aging process. Some people, however, experience more severe symptoms of aging than others do. No matter how healthy your body is, your mind can still begin to have those “senior moments.” If you want to keep your mind healthy as you age, you have to keep it active. For seniors, staying active can not only help to prolong life, but it can offer a better quality of life as well. With exercise, the two go hand-in-hand. Whether you want to become more physically active or more mentally active, staying active, in general, will help both your body and mind feel energized and engaged. Here are a couple ways to keep your mind and body active. Move your body . As mentioned before, exercising is not only good for your body, but for your mind as well. Exercise is a social activity for many, especially with all of the group exercises that are provided. This helps one stay motivated and engaged in the activity. Exercise also improves your mood by releasing mood-boosting endorphins, which can help lessen the feelings of depression. Exercise increases mental capacity, and physical activity has been directly linked to slowing the process of mental decline. When you are physically active, every part of your body, including the brain, receives more blood flow. Blood flow encourages cell growth. Exercise also improves healing. The healing process takes longer as we age, but exercise can help. Active adults have wounds that heal as much as 25 percent faster than those who do not exercise. Eat well . Proper nutrition is incredibly important for seniors, for both physical and mental health. If you’re not eating enough of the proper vitamins and minerals, the lack of nutrients can affect brain function. If you’re not eating enough calories, you will have less energy with which to use your body and brain. Make sure you eat well – healthy and regularly. Engage your senses . Using all of your senses really helps exercise your brain in a variety of different ways, so try to use all your senses as much as possible. Stop to smell the flowers – literally – or try to pick out the ingredients of food by their smell. Keep learning . You’re never too old to learn. Learning new things will help keep your mind active and sharp. Challenge your brain . Challenging your brain is extremely important to keeping a sharp mind. Instead of just learning, you should also be challenging yourself to exercise your knowledge and problem-solving skills. Sleep well . For people at any age, sleep is essential for proper mental functioning. Be sure to get enough sleep at night, and make sure it’s quality sleep, too. As you can see, there are plenty of simple ways to keep your mind and body active. It is interesting to know that the body and mind go hand and hand. Now as you exercise or do any of the activities above you know that you are keeping your mind and body active. http://www.seniorhealthmemos.com/2013/02/6-tips-for-keeping-your-mind-sharp-and-active/ http://www.umh.org/assisted-independent-living-blog/bid/337684/The-Importance-of-Keeping-Your-Aging-Senior-Active