Resource Centers:(News, information, and tools to support your practice)
June 2008
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Simple stratagies to regain your brain
For years, people have believed humans are born with a certain number of brain cells, and as we age, those brain cells die off — with no hope of ever getting them back.
Today, scientists are proving that not only can human beings generate new brain cells, but we can also branch them out and make new pathways in our thought and learning processes.
What this means to the average person is anyone at any age can continue to build brain strength — and that being mentally “sharp” isn’t something reserved for the young anymore.
The act of building brain power is called “neurobics.” And just like the name implies, it’s all about doing aerobics for your brain. Fortunately, these types of aerobic workouts don’t involve 6 a.m. gym sessions or buying workout gear.
Neurobics is something anyone can do anywhere in just minutes a day. Consider making the following neurobic principles part of your daily routine to help your brain branch out.
• Act happy. Method acting is an acting technique in which actors try to replicate real-life emotional conditions under which the character operates, in an effort to create a lifelike, realistic performance.
Whether you are an actor or not, your life is a stage play. So bring a bit of the theatre onto the stage of your daily life and purposefully act happy; get your brain’s act together.
Method actors who play happy roles have an internal chemistry that keeps them more active and more involved in life. Scientifically, acting happy has a measurable effect on T-cells, gamma globulins, serotonins, endorphins, melatonin, and cortisol, just to name a few.
We can even do a PET scan of the brain and see what the emotional map of the brain looks like, because there is a physiology that goes with the emotions. That means we can actually see what anger, sadness, and even happiness looks like.
Even more important, acting happy, whether through deep belly laughter or a simple smile, activates positive chemicals in the brain that keep us alert and physically healthy. So act happy to keep your brain more alive and functional.
• Sharpen your senses. In our modern society, with our technological breakthroughs, we have lost much of our senses.
For example: When you go to the grocery store, you don’t feel your food anymore. You don’t smell the meat. You don’t feel the grains. Everything is boxed and wrapped and covered.
Such modern conveniences dull our senses, which shrink and age our brains. Doing simple exercises can help refresh your senses and keep your memory strong.
While the idea of brain exercises may seem simple or even silly, the exercises actually help your brain develop new pathways. When you use the left and
The more little twigs you get on the axons, the more they start connecting with neighboring cells. The more “growth” of the underbrush, the more chances you have to make new brain connections.
Keeping the brain alive is all about making new connections and branching out. If you’re right handed, you use your left brain a lot. If you can bring some of that brain activity over to the right side by using your left hand for the same task, you’re exercising your brain and developing new pathways.
Later in life, should one of your brain’s pathways be destroyed, you’ll have another small pathway already formed and ready to be built up to take over the lost function.
• Make physical connections. One of the worst things for the brain is for the person to become a loner. When you’re alone, you’ll always do things the same old way.
That means you’ll rarely exercise your brain and make new neural connections.
You can connect with others through a club, association, church, or any other type of group activity. Simply being in a crowd, such as a sporting event, enables you to connect.
Growing plants is a way to connect, as it brings you closer to nature and brings something living into your life. Pets, especially dogs, are another wonderful way to connect. People talk to their dogs. They pet their dogs. They walk their dogs.
As they walk their dogs, they associate with others who are walking dogs. In fact, studies have shown people who are older than age 65, have a dog, and live alone, visit the doctor 16 percent less often than their counterparts who don’t have a dog.
As you become skilled at something, consider teaching as a way to connect. The act or ritual of teaching and mentoring is a powerful one that fosters long-lasting connections and enables you to impact many generations. Remember, any celebration or ritual can bring connection into your life.
Exercising your brain doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity that causes you to sweat. In fact, practicing neurobics can be a fun and enjoyable experience that adds brain power every day.
So, commit to making these neurobic activities part of your daily routine. As the old saying goes, “You’re only as old as you feel.” Give your brain the tools to feel young and vital; it’ll pay off for years to come.
Dale Anderson, MD, author of Never Act Your Age, practiced medicine for nearly 50 years as a family doctor, board-certified surgeon, and board-certified emergency physician. He can be contacted at 651-484-5162 or through www.acthappy.com.
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