The conventional wisdom – that our brain function dramatically and necessarily slows as we age – has been turned on its head through mind-boggling research according to Elizabeth Zelinsky, PhD, a professor at the University of Southern California. Now we know the truth: the brain is always reshaping itself! And, it’s very much up to you just how your brain will change.
If your own experience and your observations of others doesn’t seem to support the conclusion that you can keep your brain sharp, there’s probably a good reason. Your brain grows and strengthens only with a good deal of the right kind of concentrated effort!
Does this mean your brain will regain the function you had at the tender age of 20? Unfortunately, no. But with the right type of training it can improve significantly. It can actually develop new neurons!
With advice from Dr. Elizabeth Zelinsky, we offer some suggestions on how you can improve the functioning of your brain. If you’ve heard something about this brain research, you may have formed some ideas on what makes the difference - and you may be surprised at Dr. Zelinsky’s answers. Consider how you would respond to each of these questions:
Doing crossword puzzles is a great way to strengthen your brain function. True or false?
The answer is “maybe”. If you’re working hard at a puzzle that is very difficult for you, and you’re really “straining your brain,” you probably are improving its functioning. But if the puzzle falls into the “ho hum, I could almost do it in my sleep” category, it’s probably not contributing one iota toward the reshaping of your brain.
My grandson can text, watch TV, and do his homework at the same time – without much trouble, according to him. I should be able to do that, too.
Not so. Unfortunately, for most of us those days of super multi-tasking are long gone. As we age we naturally find it more difficult to deal with distractions. We need to focus on what we’re doing. Moreover, researchers have learned that people who multi-task as a way of life are not nearly as efficient as they think they are!
The health of your brain has nothing to do with physical health – right?
Wrong. While the extent of the relationship of the body’s health to the brain’s has never been proven, we do know that anything that negatively affects your cardiovascular system is not good for any part of you, including your brain. Remember, your blood flows to your brain, and if your blood suffers from the effects of obesity or diabetes, for example, it’s not doing the best job it could.
As we get older and have done certain things for so long, we’re often operating on automatic pilot. It’s good not to have to pay close attention to everything we do, right?
How many times have you cruised past your highway exit – or nearly hit a car in your blind spot because you were focused on the meeting you’re headed for – or not seen that man in the crosswalk because there’s never anyone crossing at that spot? See what we mean? The more we focus on what we’re doing, the better and faster our brains will respond.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
The Answer:
You sure can – and that old dog will be much the better for having learned those new tricks.
This is interesting – but it has almost nothing to do with my ability to drive.
The Answer:
It sure does! There’s almost nothing more important to your ability to drive safely than the condition of your brain!
So – what’s the answer? Here are five thoughts on how you can improve your brain. Get out of your comfort zone, and do something that’s new to you, stimulating, seriously challenging, and sustained. For example:
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