The challenge of keeping one’s body and mind healthy and chugging along happily as we age is growing, especially when silvers lose their mobility and can no longer perform activities that would naturally safeguard their physical and mental wellbeing, such as meeting friends for coffee or strolling around the neighbourhood.
In light of the new year, it is important to take stock of the possibilities afforded to us in 2024 and seize the day to reclaim the healthy lifestyle habits that promote not just a longer lifespan, but a better health span too.
That means we’ll be able to keep moving and functioning healthily longer into our lives without being bogged down by chronic diseases or other debilitating ailments like Alzheimer’s.
Here are five healthy living habits that can benefit the body and the mind for the year ahead.
1. Stay active
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It’s no secret that keeping physically active brings about major benefits as we age.
Regular resistance training at an intensity that is challenging for us – regardless of whether we use weights, other implements, or your own bodyweight – builds stronger muscles, bones and joints.
Moderate aerobic exercise, on the other hand, is great for the cardiorespiratory system – and, according to research, the brain as well. In other words, keep the body moving, and the mind will follow.
2. Exercise your cognitive abilities
Of course, challenging the mind directly with tasks or games that require the use of our cognitive skills is a great way to keep the brain going.
While there is no concrete evidence that it’ll prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s or other kinds of dementia, the significant benefits that come with brain games and puzzles are often reward enough.
Just remember to target different parts of your cognition with the challenges you partake in.
Crosswords, for example, challenge verbal memory, where as jigsaw puzzles tap into visual-spatial working memory.
Sudoku works on number and pattern recognition, while the brain games available online often challenge memory and attention. In short, think it or lose it.
3. Learn new skills
Another way to keep your mind and body sufficiently challenged as we age is through learning a new skill.
Research has shown that learning new skills – and especially languages – has profound benefits for memory and the slowing of brain ageing, regardless of how fluent you end up being.
There’s another benefit that comes with learning new skills, or indeed both the points mentioned above: Social interaction and conversation, which has also been shown to have a protective effect on the brain along with the host of other benefits mentioned above.
4. Improve your sleep schedule
Sleep patterns tend to change as we age. It gets harder to fall asleep, sleep through the night without waking, and get through the day without a mid-afternoon nap.
Yet, a good night’s sleep is vital for improving concentration and memory formation. In the long run, protracted sleep deprivation has been linked to chronic diseases, attention and memory problems and depression.
There are several practical steps that one can take to get better sleep.
These include setting a proper sleep schedule, reducing or limiting the length of afternoon naps, and creating an ideal sleep environment free of noise or bright lights that might hinder falling and staying asleep.
It’s also a good idea to check if any sleep problems you’re experiencing might be linked to something else – stress, for example, or medications that might be affecting your sleep cycle.
5. Take supplements like Kordel’s Sharp PS Sharp Memory
Eating a balanced diet rich in omega-3-rich fish like salmon and mackerel is another way to protect the brain and ward off brain-related ailments like Alzheimer’s, as is supplementation to shore up on the vitamins and minerals you aren’t getting in your usual diet.
One supplement worth considering is Kordel’s Sharp PS Sharp Memory, designed to promote mental acquity (by supporting the formation of neurons in the brain).
It also protects the cells in the brain and supports good brain health, while helping with the formation and recall of both short- and long-term memory.
It does so with its key ingredient of phosphatidylserine (PS), a naturally occurring substance found in plants, animals and other forms of life, including humans.
Our bodies typically contain about 30g of the stuff, about half of which is usually found in the brain, making it a vital building block for brain health.
We also don’t get much PS from our natural diet, as it is only found in small amounts in natural food sources like fish and bovine organs, and even less so for plant-based products.
Thankfully, oral supplementation of PS has been clinically proven to be beneficial in improving the cognitive function, memory, mood and behaviour of elderly test participants.
Derived from the lecithin in high-grade soybeans, Kordel’s Sharp PS Sharp Memory is also vegetarian-friendly and safe to consume (though, as always, consult your physician before taking any supplements on top of preexisting medication).
The supplement is available on Kordel’s website, on online marketplaces, or at major retailers.
SIlverStreak readers can use exclusive promo code “SHARP35OFF” at checkout to get an additional 35% off Kordel’s Sharp PS Sharp Memory, on top of any pre-existing discounts.
This article is created in collaboration with Kordel’s.
