As people begin aging, memory loss is one of their biggest fears. Everyone jokes about it, but it’s a real concern. Fortunately, age itself doesn’t affect memory as much as our overall physical and mental health.

If you’re experiencing acute memory loss, it may be time to talk to your loved ones about when it’s time to move to assisted senior living options. But for many, there are plenty of ways to keep your memory sharp.

#1 Walking & Exercise

Physical exercise doesn’t just sharpen your muscles, it also sharpens your mind. In fact, walking is known to increase the volume of the hippocampus, one part of the brain responsible for memory, which otherwise shrinks with age.

That may be why some of the most important writers, thinkers, and artists in history swear by walking. It doesn’t just get the blood pumping; it’s also inspiration.

#2 Get Plenty of Rest

One of the worst things you can do to your memory is losing out on sleep – the mind spends the night replaying your memories from the day as a way of figuring out how to store it all. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex run through a quick version of the day, sorting them for later. When you don’t get enough sleep, memories get lost or jumbled up.

#3 Find a Hobby

Want to improve your concentration? One of the best ways is to pick up a right-brain hobby, something that engages the creative part of your mind and involves making or building something. That can include any number of artistic pursuits such as:

• Painting & drawing
• Creative writing
• Wood carving
• Arts and crafts
• Knitting and sewing

Any of these activities help you focus and decrease brain degeneration.

#4 Gardening

Another unconventional way to keep your mind in shape is to keep up with gardening activities, something you can do in any All Seniors Care building. Gardening keeps your brain in shape and reduces dementia risks. That’s because you’re engaging in problem solving, detail-oriented work, and using all your senses to identify issues.

#5 Take the Neurobics Challenge

At all of our senior homes in Ottawa, Gatineau, London, Stratford, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and across Canada, residents will be participating in the monthly Neurobics Challenge. Every month, residents have a chance to put their brains to work for the chance to win funny money and win their building the honour of taking home the All Seniors Care Neurobics Trophy, engraved with your building’s name on it.

In the Neurobics Challenge, residents complete a puzzle a day, and the winning building is the one with the highest participation rate. Completing a puzzle a day is a great way to keep the doctor away, and it’s just one way senior living can help keep your mind sharp and body active. The Neurobics Challenge runs all year round.

For more information on keeping your brain active, get in touch and ask us about initiatives like the Neurobics Challenge and every day ways to sharpen your memory. We’re serious about brain health.