BRAIN FITNESS – An important social engagement
By Linda J. Williams, Marketing Coordinator, The Center for Functional Fitness, Akron LIVING WELL Magazine
You’ve no doubt heard that Baby Boomers are great communicators, and that probably comes as no surprise. As young adults in the 1960s, boomers were often involved in some form of social activity and even some form of social discourse. Many are now delighting in the fact that as they get older, they are getting even more social. Busy professional and family lives may have kept us from an active social scene in the past, but now more than ever, Boomers are reaching out to each other. We are joining clubs, engaging in fitness activities and even staying connected to friends and family through social media.
As the aging process begins taking its toll, this generation needs to exercise both the body and the mind. Boomers must get involved with activities that keep their bodies and minds fit. Doing so will help keep the brain sharp. Many proponents of brain fitness believe that it should be promoted in the same ways as physical fitness.
Staying socially connected may be one of the best ways to stay mentally fit. Socializing with other people, as shown in recent studies, has many of the same benefits as performing mental exercises and has shown similar effects in terms of improving brain functions. Researchers have found that when we interact socially, we exercise many cognitive functions needed for everyday living like attention, memory and control.
Interaction with friends can help you stay mentally acute by utilizing your mental and intellectual skills. By participating in lively conversation with others and through reading, writing, puzzles and games, you may just find yourself more stimulated and mentally sharp. Just as your muscles improve when you give them a good workout, your brain can function at its highest level by keeping it in shape, too.
Brain fitness is an important component of the new fitness program, Forever Young, available at the new Center of Functional Fitness in Cuyahoga Falls. The cognitive challenges offered will help improve memory, attention, processing and the sequencing needed to keep minds sharp and help maintain independence. For more information, contact Karyn Petty, ACSM, ACE health/fitness instructor at 330-971-8078.
