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Photo: N. SRIDHARAN

AGED BUT ACTIVE Mental exercise helps improve memory just as physical exercise keeps the body fit

Take the case of Rajeshwari Soundarajan, who is taking Sanskrit lessons at age 60. “It keeps me busy and the added advantage is that I am now able to understand the shlokas I had been reciting by rote,” she says. The consequent social networking (with her fellow students) is also helping her brain cells keep fit.

You can’t learn at 60 what you didn’t at six, isn’t it? Well, this popular adage does not hold true. Elders can learn new things. In fact, they need to. Neurologists insist that elderly people need to keep exercising their brains and learn new things to keep their brain circuits active and help ward off neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and the different kinds of mild cognitive impairments and memory loss which creep upon many of us with age.

Left without exercise, brain cells may deteriorate over time, just like the muscles of our body. “Our brain has something called a cognitive reserve. If you maintain a high cognitive reserve by keeping your mind active and learning new things, you are less likely to develop dementia,” says Prof. E.S. Krishnamoorthy, Director, Institute of Neurological Sciences, VHS Hospital, Chennai.

“Constant brain activity can certainly slow down the progress of these diseases,” says Lakshmi Vijaykumar, consultant psychiatrist and founder of SNEHA.

Worldwide, many neurologists are studying the phenomenon and concur with this premise. Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, funded by The National Institute on Aging in the U.S., points out that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsets some age-related declines, and also boosts performance. That is not to say that taking up math or music lessons at 60 is mandatory.

You may simply make it a point to learn everyday a few new words from a language you don’t know, try some simple mind exercises, or stimulate your mind by taking a new route to the office or grocery shop every time.

Keeping our brains active can also help improve memory. And remember, poor memory is a common problem associated with ageing. As T. Ramakrishnan says, “Trying to remember where I keep my house documents, medical records and even whether I took my pill in the morning has become a tiring challenge.”

As we grow older, our ability to remember things wanes. Apparently, by learning new things or information, we can help improve our long term memory. So, not just children, even the elderly need a daily dose of memory games, sudoku and newspaper crosswords.

The limits of learning and the pace of learning do change with age, but learning is perfectly possible in old age. Three key factors predict strong mental function in old age — regular physical activity, a strong social support system, and a belief in one’s ability to handle what life has to offer, say authors John W. Rowe, M.D., and Robert L. Kahn, Ph.D. in their book ‘Successful Aging’, based on the results of a 10-year study.

So, it makes sense for the elderly to make not just physical exercises mandatory, but mind exercises too. For, age is not just a number; it is a physical reality. But, the mind and body can stay fit if they are properly maintained.

Try challenging hobbies, learn new skills

Take up employment, post-retirement

Go in for a vegetarian diet rich in antioxidants

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Achieve good work-life balance and prevent psychological stress

Take a brisk walk for at least 30 to 45 minutes everyday

Be part of social groups (bhajans or bridge)

Make new friends, and stay in touch with old friends and relatives

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