Boosting the brain health
As we age our whole physical body capabilities start deteriorating including our brain function. Especially after the age of 60. Till 60 majority people are working in jobs and that keeps them somewhat active physically and mentally, but after retirement it is possible to get into a sedentary lifestyle being at home and with that the cognitive clock will start going down.
My dad had multiple health issues yet he managed to continue working till his retirement age of 60. He had a tough job, he was the production floor manager, so he was on the move all the time, not only that his work place was very far which was 2 hours of travel one way, so a daily travel of 4 hrs almost. All of this kept him active despite of all his health conditions. He would start from home at 6 in the morning and return back by 7 in the evening, which was a long day for him. He was so tired of his work that when he retired, he did not want to do absolutely anything and was home all the time. Slowly, gradually with that his health started going down faster. In 5 years', time he passed away. He had become totally inactive after leaving his job and he already had so many health issues that it all got on him. His mind had also become very dull. I could see that drastic fall in 5 years.
And with this whole experience I realized that it's all the more important to keep your mind and body both active and fit at that age. And I feel it all starts with the brain health, if the brain is active, it will also motivate the body to be active. Doing regular exercises, following a good healthy diet, keeping engaged in social activities, finding some purpose to move on, all of this is really helpful as we age.
Till 40 it all looks good, but after that we see that everything we do for the better health needs extra effort. It's so much easy to lose weight in 20s and so challenging in 40s and 50s, especially for women as they hit the menopause phase, where the estrogen and progesterone levels drop drastically, which not only impacts the weight but has so many other complications like extreme mood swings, depression and others and all of them impacting the brain health.
Going for regular walks, doing some brain exercise, setting some health goals and working towards them mindfully are some ways to boost the brain health. It will also help prevent illnesses like Alzheimer, dementia and Parkinson. Though it's not all that is, there are many other factors also that influence these illnesses. But having a healthy cognitive health will be helpful in tackling many of these neuro disorders. Vitamin B6, B12, Creatine supplements are helpful in maintaining it. Also, for women above 45 it is important to regularly check up on their estrogen and progesterone levels and if needed take supplements to maintain the levels. Apart from these doing regular yoga and meditation, breathing exercises are also very helpful.
In my family I had too many such cases, where I could clearly see a very weak cognitive health and because of that they suffered a lot with their health. I have learned looking at them and for me from the beginning health has been very important.
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@nainaztengra, thank you for sharing such a personal and insightful post about the importance of maintaining cognitive health as we age. Your father's experience really underscores the need to stay active, both mentally and physically, after retirement. It's a stark reminder that a sedentary lifestyle can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being.
I appreciate your practical tips, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, social engagement, and monitoring hormone levels for women. The point about brain exercises is often overlooked! This is definitely a topic that resonates with many in our community, and I encourage everyone to share their own experiences and tips for maintaining a healthy brain as they age in the comments below. Let's keep this important conversation going!