We have heard many times how important exercising is for our health; therefore, we have gyms everywhere. And every year, we try it. We make our new year's resolutions and say: I'll do better this time. I'll go to the gym; I'll be a runner; I'll do yoga.
Fun fact, do you know there are 13,488 gyms in Canada? I didn't make up that number, by the way. I googled it.
But do you ever think about what to do to keep a healthy brain? Are you aware that our brain must be trained as well?
Fellow toastmasters, studies have found that the less we use it, the more it can experience atrophy, loss of mass, and less agility. Some studies have demonstrated that while social activities like going to the gym, playing music, crosswords, or reading magazines help increase and form synapses that mediate learning and memory; they are not as good as crafting to boost your intellectual power. If you are not into crafting, maybe I can make you change your mind.
A study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences interviewed over 1,300 participants aged 70-89 about the frequency of cognitive activities carried out later in life. Painting, sewing, carpentry, ceramic or crocheting have proved to be great ways to keep your brain healthy and can help us avoid developing difficulty to learn, concentrate or making decisions, loss of memory among others.
The Western Sydney University research department found that mental exercises increase blood flow to the brain. Consequently, this delivers more oxygen and essential nutrients that help it detox, repair and function better.
Without challenging our brain to use different areas to communicate in unison and properly execute actions can create chemical atrophy that can cause the organ to function partly `fragmented. Mental illnesses such as dissociative disorder, and bipolar disorder, among others, sometimes are linked due to this.
Craft activities not only force the brain to connect and work with different areas of the left and right sides but also force communication between both hemispheres. Doing this increases the brain's corpus callosum thickness. That optimizes its functions, and It can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 30 to 50 percent.
Repetition is the most important of these benefits. Relevant, repetitive tasks that you practice often are essential for forming synapses which are connections between the neurons, thus improving your ability to learn new things. The repetition creates a therapeutic feeling when our brain releases feel-good hormones. This, in turn, gives people a sense of well-being both emotionally and cognitively.
Furthermore, if you have a hobby where you repeat specific tasks over a longer period of time, you are likely to reach a point of complete relaxation, comparable to the effects of yoga or meditation and keep your mind free of anxiety. And it is also great for your heart.
The much as we use our brain, the stronger it will be when time passes. Remember that we will be ancient someday.
I love to crochet, but plenty of craft activities are available that have similar benefits.
Our body and its organs are the pieces we have to travel in this life; the way we take care of them is the key to a happy and long life. And it is not just to have muscles and amazing body shapes; it is about its functions and improving its processes.
Now we know a little bit of the importance of extra activities, hobbies and how we enjoy some time off. This is an invitation to take care of one of the essential organs in our body, our brain it controls everything, including your moods and behaviour. But if you want to achieve the best results intellect-wise, you need to take care of it and help it flourish.
