By: Jill Springer, Executive Director, Woodstone of Hutchinson
We all hear about the importance of activity for our overall health. Walking, biking, gardening, even cleaning your house are all considered a good source of activity to get your blood flowing, you heart pumping and your body moving. We’ve even written a blog about the importance of staying active as a way of reducing the risk of falls—it’s a good one, you should check it out.
One topic that often gets overlooked in regards to our overall health is that of activities. I am not referring to breaking a sweat. Instead I’m talking about things like catching a movie with friends, having lunch with friends, trying some new arts and crafts or even learning a new card game and playing with friends. The importance of exercising your mental muscles are just as important as exercising your other muscles.
Our cells renew constantly and the brain is no exception. Some of the mental muscles that we need to exercise include reason, imagination, and memory to name a few. Keeping these muscles flexed are vital to staying young during the aging process. Here at Woodstone, we do our best to keep our residents busy with activities that engage their brain.
Keeping the brain busy is not just important for the aging population. I encourage all of you to do something you haven’t done in a while. Draw or paint a picture, ride a bike, learn a new game…and then find a friend to engage in these new activities! Your brain will thank you!
