If you are over fifty you have almost certainly had this experience: You are telling a story to a friend. You stumble over a name you can’t remember, struggle to recall it, fail, shrug and chuckle about having a “senior moment.”
However, the National Institute on Aging and the International Longevity Center offers recommendations on how to maintain cognitive vitality including memory even into the nineties and beyond. Many are common sense tips about maintaining good health: good nutrition with emphasis on B vitamins, antioxidants including vitamins C, E and beta carotene and Omega 3 fatty acids; adequate sleep; stress reduction and relaxation techniques; healthy social interactions; and, emotional stability.
Polly Shephard of the Indianapolis Memory Clinic summarized current thinking on improving memory when she said, “It’s really a combination of mental and physical exercises, social stimulation and good diet.”
Two recommendations focus on exercise and brain function. The Mayo Clinic reports that aerobic exercise elevates the heart rate and promotes blood flow to the brain. Exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins, hormones that have been shown to elevate mood and memory. The National Institute on Aging reports that physically active older people have higher cognitive test scores and better reaction time.
“Most people’s idea of fitness stops at the neck, “said Patti Celori, executive director of the New England Cognitive Center. “But the brain is the CPU of our body, and most people don’t do as much as possible to keep it fit.”
It all begins with a positive attitude. “It is incredible, but true,” said Marilyn Aiello of the Duke University Medical School “just wishing to improve your memory will improve your memory by 20% to 30%.” For people wishing to take a more active approach, Aiello said, “Memory exercises are highly recommended ... [and] can improve memory as much as 30% to 40%.”
Novelty and sensory stimulation are the foundation of brain exercise. If you break your routine in a challenging way, you are using brain pathways you weren’t using before. The National Institute on Aging advises, “Keep challenging yourself to learn something new.” You could take a class, learn a language, cook some recipes from an unfamiliar cuisine, read challenging books or magazines, learn a new game, take up a new hobby, or join a current events discussion group or a book club.
Experts suggest that games of strategy like chess or bridge or word games like Scrabble provide stimulus to your brain. Others recommend solving crosswords, Sudoko, logic or lateral thinking puzzles.
Researchers at the Medical School at University College, Dublin, have found that memorizing poems or newspaper articles can improve memory. The results weren’t immediate but, “After a six week rest period the volunteers manifested both metabolic changes in the brain and improved memory,” said Jonathan McNulty.
Elizabeth Zelinski of the USC Gereontology Center recorded memory gains of ten years for older adults using the software based Brain Fitness Program developed by Posit Science of San Francisco. Similar programs include the online Luminosity Program and software-based MindFit Brain Workout from Cognifit.
One of the powerful results of undertaking a Stories To Tell project is the mental exercise involved in recalling, ordering, and record your life stories. Our Author’s Guide contains brainstorming, visualizing, and organizational exercises that help you improve your memory by stimulating your brain. And you’re working with the material most dear to you – your own life experiences.
