When’s the last time you tried something new? Has it been along time since you’ve taken a class, cooked a new dish for dinner or tried an activity?If you’re having trouble remembering the last time you ventured into theunknown, it’s time to change that.
While many people know that exercising is a great way to keep your body youngas you age, it’s just as important to work out your brain as you get older. AtCapital City Nurses, we know that keeping your mind sharp is one of the easiestways to age well.
“Thoughts of aging gracefully have been replaced by efforts to agesuccessfully,” writes the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation. To get propermental stimulation, the foundation recommends that aging Americans workpuzzles, take classes and read as much as possible. These activities can helpkeep aging minds sharp and may help prevent some deficits from forming.
The National Institute of Aging has investigated the effects of cognitivetraining on adults with The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent andVital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. Doctors worked with subjects 55 and over, inthree categories: The memory group, the reasoning group and thespeed-of-processing group, teaching strategies for strengthening their minds.If these key areas of the mind are worked out on a daily basis, retain thecognitive function better than those who don’t and maintain their independencemore easily.
“This large trial found that community-dwelling seniors who received cognitivetraining had less of a decline in certain thinking skills than their peers whodid not have training,” says NIA Director Dr. Richard J. Hodes.
If you find yourself interested in community living, as a way to keep yourmental acuity high or simply as a way to enjoy aging with your contemporaries,consider visiting The Cottage at Curry Manor. A refined residential livingspace in Bethesda, Cottage at Curry Manor helps seniors preserve their dignitywhile helping them live an independent life of luxury. The Manor prioritizesmental and physical enrichment for all its residents. You can tend the flower,herb and vegetable garden; learn how to get better growing results athorticultural classes; take a turn on the stage in our music, dance and dramaworkshops; or find a new way to prepare an old culinary favorite at cookingclasses (which utilize fresh ingredients from the garden).