TRACIE POTTS
Exercising your brain is just as important as exercising your body, experts said at a Washington briefing Wednesday.
Their review of recent studies found strong evidence that mentally challenging activities, such as aerobic exercise and social interaction can slow down ‘brain fade.’
“In our 40s and our 50s we start to forget things. We have the tip of the tongue phenomenon where we’ve met somebody, and we knew their name, but maybe we don’t right now,” explains University of Illinois Professor Arthur Kramer.
But the jury’s still out on whether computer games marketed to boost brain power really work.
“There needs to be much more research that asks whether these memory-training or reasoning-training products actually translates into living a higher quality life. Being able to work longer. Being able to drive longer. Being able to live independently,” says Kramer.
Scientists found people with intellectually-challenging jobs, healthy diets and a good education, tend to avoid or delay Alzheimers and Dementia.
Not a day goes by when 77-year-old Maryland resident Mac Cofer’s not really busy.
“I’ll get up at 5:00 or 5:30, I’ll get the paper, i’ll scan it,” says Cofer. “All that’s in a day’s work.”
Mac Cofer is hoping his busy routine keeps him feeling sharp.
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