... continued from Cover
It’s an incredibly vivid memory because I felt so alive at that
headed into Chinatown and bought ninja swords. (Remember, we were 17-year-old boys.) Ultimately, we didn’t pick up great waves or meet cute girls. We just ate nasty food and hung out in the car. But we felt great. We didn’t overthink anything that week and just enjoyed good music, good conversation, and each other’s company. We set out for an adventure, and though it wasn’t what we’d had in mind, we found one I’ll never forget.
randomly run across a wild party. Of course, the nightlife was nonexistent, and we ate tacos instead. Next, we stopped in Santa Cruz, which has multiple big surf spots. But the weather was cold and rainy. We had no other plans, so we slept in the tank in a bowling alley parking lot. It certainly wasn’t glamorous, but I’ll never forget waking up the following day. I opened the car door and found myself on the beach, surrounded by cool, fresh, salty air and the seagulls calling.
moment. We weren’t accomplishing anything we’d set out to do, but I still felt like an adventure was happening. Time slowed down for a minute, and I wished it could have lasted forever. As the trip continued, we ate bean and cheese burritos and bad gas station trail mix. One day, we ran into an actor on the hit TV show “CSI,” which was as random as possible. Surfing remained a bust; no matter where we paddled out, the ocean sat as still as a lake. But during our stop in San Francisco, we
–Kevin Bennett
STAYING SHARP What Neuroplasticity Means for Your Brain
Not long ago, scientists thought we experienced a dramatic drop in our ability to rewire our brains and learn new things after childhood. Fortunately, more recent research has shown that assumption is false. Neuroplasticity, or the power of our brains to adapt and make more neural connections, lasts throughout adulthood. And we all can use our brains’ natural neuroplasticity to benefit our health. You’re probably familiar with neuroplasticity, even if you’ve never heard the term before. Neuroplasticity is why someone with a traumatic brain injury can regain some lost functions — people who lose one sense often experience an improvement in the other four, and we generally become better at things the more we practice them. But while the brain often makes these changes out of necessity, we can also consciously harness this superpower. There are many things experts still don’t understand about human brains or why some people develop neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. But an increasing body of evidence suggests that keeping our minds well-fed and active reduces our risk of cognitive decline. People who work to develop their neuroplasticity may also be more flexible and open to new experiences.
Regular exercise has demonstrated positive effects on our neuroplasticity because it
increases the oxygen flow to our brains. Further, the nutrients we provide our
brains matter, so keeping a healthy diet will also benefit your mind. Adequate sleep also improves our cognitive abilities, so if you struggle to get enough hours each night, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Next, neuroplasticity experts recommend getting out of your comfort zone. We all conduct a large portion of our lives on autopilot, doing the same things we’ve always done while barely thinking about them. It’s convenient but not good for our minds or emotional health. Finding ways to tune back in and notice what’s around you through meditation or other mindfulness practices will likely improve your neuroplasticity and overall life satisfaction. Finally, give yourself new challenges and go out of your way to learn. Picking up a new skill, hobby, or language later in life may seem daunting, but it helps keep us sharp. Even brain teasers and puzzles can allow us to give our brains a daily workout. After practicing for a while, you may be surprised at how much better you feel — and think.
2 kentucky.seniorhealth.pro
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator