Tips for Women to Stay Sharp: Exercise, Sleep, Good Nutrition, Staying Active, More
Women sometimes appear to have ironclad memories, recalling birthdays, anniversaries, names, dates, and small details at will. But even women with total recall may benefit from proven steps that can help them stay sharp well into their golden years.
Exercise is a key factor in helping women maintain cognitive well-being as they age, according to long-established research. Other factors including staying socially and mentally active, eating nutritious meals, controlling stress, and getting adequate sleep.
Pharmacists as frontline providers can play a crucial role in educating women on steps they can take to nurture both their bodies and minds. A quick internet search will pull up many helpful sites aimed at boosting women’s brain health. Tips include:
- Keep your body moving: Exercise is a foundational step to ensure optimal health. A regular workout, even a short one, will provide innumerable health benefits.
- Eat healthy meals: Many experts recommend a Mediterranean style diet that includes generous portions of fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish, and other lean meats. And go easy on the salt.
- Never stop learning: Just because your school days are over, doesn’t mean you should stop learning. Staying curious and learning new activities and skills can stimulate your brain and keep you motivated.
- Give into your passion: Doing what you love will give you a sense of purpose and support for brain health. If you loved singing as a child, join a local choir. If you love gardening, make your yard bloom. If you love helping people, sign up to volunteer in your community.
- Get a good night’s sleep: A full seven to eight hours of sleep is crucial for maintaining brain health, especially for women who often sleep less than men. Create a bedroom environment that’s conducive for sleep, and practice a night routine that will bring on the zzzz…
- Stay in touch with family and friends: Staying socially active is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy mental outlook. Pick up the phone and say hello!
- Keep a journal: Writing a daily journal is a powerful way to exercise your brain. Reading your past entries in years to come will allow you to call up memories from long ago.
- Keep reading: In today’s electronic world, it’s easy to forget the pleasures of a good book. Reading is mentally stimulating, and brain will thank you.
- Turn on the jams: Music also is a known stimulant for the brain. People well into their senior years often are able to remember song lyrics from their youth.
