Many people understand that having good health would mean needing to stay active and exercising regularly—regardless of whether it’s stretching, slow walks, simple chair exercises or even eating right. However, a significant number of people don’t know that mental fitness is as important if not more important in maintaining overall good health. Mental fitness would include emotional health, brain health, and training, and they can assist in helping you in several ways, such as boosting a declining memory, destressing, and decompressing. Here are some useful brain exercises that can help maintain or improve cognitive function in your aging loved ones.
Play an Instrument
Encourage your loved ones to practice an instrument. It’s best if they are already adept with an instrument like a guitar that they’ve played all their lives. Maybe they have a passion for the violin and don’t know how to play it, it’s also okay since learning to play an instrument can help unleash the creative side of the brain. Learning an entirely different instrument or new songs takes a serious amount of concentration and focus to learn, leading to improvement in the brain’s cognitive abilities.
Piece a Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles are an exceptional source of entertainment for one to indulge in alone or with others. You can attempt a thousand-piece puzzle or you can go for something simpler to help in promoting and training the mind’s attention to details and cognition skills. Older adults can not only exercise their fingers but also have fun and achieve a sense of accomplishment after finishing a puzzle. Different puzzles types are suitable for different cognitive abilities; simpler puzzles, puzzles for those with memory impairment, and puzzles designed for those with impaired vision.
If your loved one has a memory condition, our SHINE® Memory Care at Rittenhouse Village At Lehigh Valley is an ideal solution. We offer our residents professional and exclusive care that facilitates comprehension and engagement for those living with memory-related problems, resulting in an improvement in the quality of life.
Do Crossword Puzzles
Engaging in crossword puzzles can be very helpful for older adults to stimulate the brain and encourage the use of different areas of the brain that are seldom used. At the same time, they can even improve their vocabulary! Crosswords can either be found in the daily newspaper or specifically in a crossword puzzle book. If your loved one or you would rather do it online, there are also many websites available.
Read a Book
Reading a fiction book can allow your loved ones to escape to distant places and imagine how it would be to live the life of the portrayed character. A non-fiction book can provide your loved ones with useful new information for learning. If it’s inconvenient to borrow a physical book, they can get an eBook instead.
Get the Best Personal Care at Rittenhouse Village At Lehigh Valley
If your loved ones or you need assistance with daily living activities, do consider our personal care living option at Rittenhouse Village At Lehigh Valley. Here, we offer our residents a personalized lifestyle depending on their needs as they fully live their lives and do the things they enjoy most.
Contact us today regarding eligibility for any of our programs.
