Maintaining optimal cognitive health is crucial to living a fulfilling old age. In this article, discover practices that promote the well-being of your brain in the face of the effects of time.
The University Mission on Geriatrics and Aging website recently released a series of interviews with three renowned personalities aged over 75. These interviews focused on the strategies they use to maintain their brain health.
Doctor Sylvie Belleville, neuropsychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal, as well as laboratory director at the Research Center of the University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal, highlighted the simple gestures that Michel Forget, Julius Gray and Shirley Theroux adopt to promote optimal brain health. Here is a summary of their advice.
Preserve quality links with our loved ones
Dr. Belleville emphasizes that within the elderly population, although the majority of individuals are satisfied with their social life, 13% of them experience feelings of isolation or marginalization, while 26% express a need for additional company. It is important to note that social isolation is a predictor of cognitive decline.
On the other hand, when one benefits from a strong social circle, it promotes activity, interactions with friends, intellectual stimulation, reduction of sadness, positivity, as well as the maintenance of better overall health . However, it is essential to recognize that some people prefer to experience chosen solitude and prioritize the quality of their relationships rather than their quantity.
During his interview, actor Michel Forget, aged 81, advises this: “Don’t cut yourself off from the real world. Stay informed. […] There are people around you who value you and who love you and who care that you are there. […] Loneliness is heavy and it’s important not to let go. »
Get out of your comfort zone, learn, create and who knows… surprise yourself!
Dr. Belleville adds that studies suggest that being open to new experiences can protect against the effects of aging on the brain. Individuals who are willing to step out of their comfort zone, explore new avenues, and acquire new knowledge tend to better maintain their brain health.
Michel Forget suggests “Rent a rowboat, a kayak. Surprise your wife, partner or spouse. […] Read. You don’t have to always read thick stuff. Me, I love reading comics. I buy comics. I like this. […] Keep yourself active. If you didn’t have time to do it when you were younger because you were working too hard, make time to do things you never did. »
Be intellectually stimulated to activate and connect your neurons
The neuropsychologist highlights the fact that intellectual stimulation contributes to maintaining brain health in old age.
Individuals who engage in intellectually stimulating activities on a daily basis have been shown to have fewer pathologies typically associated with aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and to have greater cognitive reserves. They are able to ensure that these pathologies do not affect their cognition or their ability to carry out cognitive activities on a daily basis.
At the age of 75, Master Julius Gray still remains hungry for knowledge. He is an avid reader and music enthusiast. He says his law practice keeps him alive and motivated as much as it did 25 years ago.
“I use the law to hopefully improve society. So it’s a passion. It’s something I want to do. You have to believe in what you do and you have to be convinced that you can contribute to something important. » he said with a smile.
What if learning a new language protected your brain?
Master Gray is multilingual. Sylvie Belleville explains that individuals who are able to express themselves in multiple languages benefit from greater mental flexibility, are less likely to experience cognitive decline, and enjoy better protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
The 75-year-old says he divides his reading between French, English, Polish and Russian. “I am very attentive to language issues […] I must say, when I read in Russian, it is a learned language. […] So it slows me down a little, but I do it out of duty, to maintain vocabulary and to be fluent in Russian. So I do that and on the subject I also try to change them. If I read one economics book, you can be sure the next one will be something totally different. »
Pay attention to your memory and discover your own strategies to exercise it
According to Dr. Belleville, it is very important to develop strategies to stimulate your memory. It is just as crucial not to remain a simple passive observer of your memory.
This means that it is essential to understand the elements that promote good memorization in certain situations and those that hinder memorization in other contexts. It is necessary to remain attentive to these factors and adapt over time.
As a master of law, Julius Gray shares his own method for training your memory. “ […] I constantly question myself. I try to remember details, for example, of obscure composers from the 18th century. I’m wondering about a novel by Flaubert or Dickens that I read 50 years ago, the details of that. What happened? […] I reread the novels that really struck me. So I’m constantly under review. And the examiner is myself. »
Stay active, engaged and why not… passionate!
It has been established that cognitively stimulating activities are linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and to the maintenance of cognitive health. If the work itself does not arouse interest, then it is recommended to look for other ways to stay mentally active. Getting involved in volunteering, participating in civic activities and engaging in stimulating hobbies are all beneficial options.
According to research, individuals who maintain cognitive stimulation or who maintain strong social bonds are better protected against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease until their death, as Dr. Belleville explains.
On this subject, Master Gray states: “I think you should work as long as possible. There are times when this is no longer necessary, especially if the job is really just a job and not a passion. We can say to ourselves “I want to do something else”. But you have to replace it with something else. But my advice above all is this constant reading, travel, physical activity […] and I think it will work like that. »
What is good for our heart is good for our brain
Sylvie Belleville highlights the complexity of the brain as an organ that relies heavily on blood supply to provide the oxygen necessary for our neurons to function.
Studies have also found that physical activity stimulates brain plasticity, the brain’s ability to create new connections. Therefore, taking care of your vascular health by engaging in physical activity also helps maintain brain health.
Singer Shirley Théroux, who is now 77 years old, fully understood this concept. At the age of 60, she undertook a drastic change for her health. ” I have stopped smoking. I stopped drinking alcohol. I stopped drinking coffee. I started walking. I ate better. […] I changed everything. I chose myself. »
Adapt and celebrate each small step
Ms. Théroux integrates walking not only as a physical activity, but also as a practice conducive to reflection, a form of meditation. She adjusts her routes according to her daily routine, sometimes opting for longer or shorter trips. According to Dr. Belleville, this flexibility is of great importance.
Establishing a new lifestyle habit is not an easy process, she recalls. It is essential to take it gradually, to accept that perfection will not be achieved immediately, and to recognize that every small step and every improvement, no matter how small, is important.
“Walking first of all, you get some oxygen. You look. You see nature. You hear the birds. And also it’s a wonderful time for reflection. I’m not a fanatic, but I tell myself that it’s good for me, it’s good for my circulation, it’s good for my coconut, it’s good for everything, it makes me walk and then I’m happy to walk. Even if it took effort. » explains the singer.
Invite pleasure into our activities
Dr. Belleville highlights the importance of engaging in activities that provide pleasure, because this is the only way to continue to undertake actions that are beneficial for our brain.
There are many methods for taking care of your brain, and you don’t have to do them all to achieve perfection. The key is to take action one step at a time, while still allowing yourself to find pleasure in everyday life.
To conclude the interview, Ms. Théroux, who discovered a passion for painting in recent years, shares this advice: “Love yourself and do things for yourself. Tell yourself that yes I am beautiful, yes I am handsome, then yes I am not old. Get that out of your head. Old age is just numbers. Feed your heart, but feed your head with beautiful things of your own. Things that look like you. For you and not for others. This is the best advice for me. I tell myself that eventually you will fall in love with you. »
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To discover the website of the University Mission on Geriatrics and Aging and watch all of these interviews, go to https://iugm.ca/fr/sante-cerveau
