Experts State Brain Exercise as Important as Physical Activity

For years, we have heard about the growing body of research regarding seniors and physical activity. According to the National Institute on Aging, “Staying physically active and exercising regularly can improve mood and relieve depression, and prevent or delay some types of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.”

While the primary focus of such physical actitivity is on the notion of prevention, the Institute also notes: “Long-term, regular exercise can improve health for some older people who already have diseases and disabilities.”

The overall viewpoint of the role of physical activity for seniors is now without contention. Notes the NIA, “Making exercise a regular part of your daily routine will have a positive impact on your quality of life as you get older.”

Seniors and Brain Fitness
Now in its infancy, a growing body of research is emerging around the topic of brain fitness. Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, a clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine and the co-founder of SharpBrains, has written extensively on the topic.

The Chief Scientific Officer of SharpBrains notes, that the field in fact is establishing a strong track record of factual data. “Rigorous and targeted cognitive training has been used in clinical practice for many years.”

The professor also unequivocally backs the notion of actively promoting brain fitness. “Exercising our brains systematically is as important as exercising our bodies,” states Goldberg.

Such statements have fueled a lengthy list of articles including a recent NY Times piece that takes an in depth look at the notion. The Times notes that baby boomers are paying attention: “boomers are seizing on a mounting body of evidence that suggests that brains contain more plasticity than previously thought, and many people are taking matters into their own hands, doing brain fitness exercises with the same intensity with which they attack a treadmill.”

The Times article, however, maintains an interesting theme as it meanders through an exploration of the industry. The Times notes the concerns of baby boomers regarding memory loss and the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Writer Katie Hafner states that the industry is “making money on that generation’s fears, and it is not just computerized flash card makers with the money-making ideas. Doctors and geneticists have also tapped into the market.”

No Skepticism Here
Dr. Gene Cohen, the director of the Center for Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University has conducted a study of of people born from 1946 to 1955 and offered these comments to Hafner.

“There is a gradual growing awareness that challenging your brain can have positive effects. Every time you challenge your brain it will actually modify the brain. We can indeed form new brain cells, despite a century of being told it’s impossible.”

With endorsements such as that of Cohen’s, it is easy to see why the brain fitness idea is receiving enormous interest. In addition to SharpBrains, there are now numerous sites/games devoted to the notion of brain fitness. Options include Nintendo’s Brain Age 2, a video game featuring both math and memory exercises, and Posit Science, a site offering computer-based “cognitive behavioral training” exercises. There is MindFit, Lumosity, and Happy-Neuron, all offering a variety of cognitive training exercises.

Brain Fitness Deserving of Careful Consideration
Perhaps one of the more interesting summations is offered by Goldberg on the SharpBrains site. Instead of the more common version offered, the “Use It or Lose It” theory, Goldberg provides a far more modern version of this fitness notion.

His statement? “Use It and Get More of It.”

The loss of memory is in fact a great fear of aging boomers. Nancy Ceridwyn, the director of educational initiatives at the American Society on Aging, is quoted by Hafner:

“It’s probably one of the most frightening aspects of the changes we undergo as we age.”

Ceridwyn then adds the trump card, the very reason why brain fitness is receiving such compelling attention.

“Our memories are who we are. And if we lose our memories we lose that groundedness of who we are.”

Editor’s note: In our next post we will take a thorough look at one of these new sites, lumosity.com.