Did you know that September is Healthy Aging Month? No matter your age, this is a great reason to practice a few tips that will help you maintain your balance, brain health, and overall wellness for years to come!
1 minute: Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. It may be a bit awkward, but retraining your brain to do things in a new and different way is a great way to grow new neural pathways and maybe even help improve focus and memory. It’s like a mini workout for your brain!
5 minutes: Turn a phone call into a balance exercise. Just stand up, and while looking straight ahead, lift one foot off the ground (just a few inches is okay to start with) and hold as long as possible. If necessary, hold lightly onto a chair or the countertop to keep you steady when you first begin. Repeat with the other leg. Do two or three sets on each leg, eventually working up to holding for 30 seconds to a full minute at a time. If you’ve got more time, check out some other tips for improving your balance.
15 Minutes: Listen to some classical music. Several studies have shown that classical music can help students study better and retain more information, and other research indicates it can help slow age-related cognitive decline. It’s also been shown to reduce stress, so it’s a winning idea all the way around.
30 minutes: Reach out to a friend. Loneliness is at an all-time high, and it tends to get worse as we age. Pick up the phone and call a friend, or better yet, meet up for a walk around the park. Keeping our social connections active is great for overall health – physical, mental and emotional.
This article appeared in the September 2024 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.
