Welcome back to our blog page here at Nova Home Health Care! Our Fairfax home healthcare aides are among the most caring, compassionate, and trustworthy individuals in Virginia. We are very selective when it comes to the people whom we choose to put in our clients’ homes, and it’s for this reason that so many people all around Fairfax rave about our services. We have a reputation that speaks for itself and a track record that has stood strong for years. Do you need in-home care for a loved one? Are you looking for someone who can provide nursing care, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or anything else? Contact Nova Home Health Care to learn more!
In part one of our blog series on maintaining a healthy brain, we discussed the power of great nutrition. We learned that antioxidants, superfoods, fish, berries, onions, whole grains, and so many other nutritious foods can help to improve blood flow, oxygenation, and the overall health of the brain. Though it’s most beneficial to live your whole life enjoying these “brain foods,” it’s never too late and you’re never too old to start eating foods that nourish your mind, as well as your body. In today’s blog, we’ll look at some of the best activities to help maintain a healthy brain. Continue reading on to learn about the powerful actions that you can take for the sake of your mind’s functions.
Activities for Your Brain
Puzzles and Thinking Games – Studies have shown that the more you actually use your brain, the younger and healthier it will remain. It’s not for no reason that elderly folks are encouraged to complete jigsaw puzzles, play crossword puzzles and sudoku, and engage in other thinking activities of that nature. Not only are jigsaw puzzles, board games like Scrabble, chess, and Mindtrap, and crossword puzzles a great way to keep your mind healthy, they can also be an extremely entertaining form of “mental exercise.”
Reading Books
Reading is a great way to keep your mind young. While in this day and age, it’s much more normal to pop in an audiobook or movie, sitting down with a physical book can work wonders for your brain. Instead of spending the evening watching movies or binge-watching your favourite TV show, spend the evening curled up with a good book.
Watching Mind Movies
We know that we just said not to spend hours on end watching TV and movies, however, the occasional thought-provoking movie is greatly encouraged for keeping your mind healthy. Specifically, search out movies that have plots that challenge your mind and push your thinking to the next level. Need some ideas for clever movies that force you to use your brain? Here is a great list from IMDB.
Learning New Stuff
Learning new things can sometimes feel foreign to us as we get older and more set in our ways. However, there is significant evidence that learning a new language or musical instrument can be extremely beneficial for keeping your mind alive. If you’re feeling really ambitious to learn, consider going back to school. Your brain would love that!
Having a Hobby
There is powerful evidence to support the fact that maintaining your hobbies or picking up new ones like art, knitting, gardening, and even coloring can work wonders for your mind’s health.
Staying Physically Active
We understand that it may seem like keeping the brain and body active are two separate pursuits, however, when you participate in any physical activity that elevates your heart rate, you’re actually supporting the better flow of oxygenated blood to your brain. Go for that walk, take a hike, go on a bike ride, or do some yoga; your body and brain will thank you.
When we consider all of the above-mentioned activities and all of the activities such as travelling, switching hands, taking up a new sport, and other things that we didn’t mention, there are so many ways to keep your mind young and healthy. The worst thing that you can do for your brain is to stop challenging yourself, stop learning anything new, and stop doing anything that requires a little bit of thinking power. Your brain’s health is in your hands.
Here at Nova Home Health Care, we’re passionate about helping individuals live their lives to the absolute fullest. We proved in-home healthcare to people all over Fairfax and we’d love to talk to you about getting a home care aide in your home! Contact us today.
