How to Exercise Your Brain as You Age
Our brain needs special care once we pass the age of 65. This Bulletin may help you or someone you love keep dementia or Alzheimer’s at bay. Doing this is not only about stimulating your mind but engaging your whole body.
Do you know that 10 to 20 percent of people over age 65 have MCI (mild cognitive impairment) with the risk increasing as they get older? Given my age, I’m much more aware of the problems older business owners are likely to have as they continue to work into their 60s, 70s, and 80s.
I haven’t been diagnosed with MCI, but I have a couple of its many symptoms (listed here). My symptoms are (1) difficulty in quickly coming up with the names of people, places, and things (interesting that they’re all nouns); and (2) memory problems that make my monthly calendar and to-do list essential to my daily life. I boost my memory by using handwritten notes, sticky notes, and timers on my desk and cell phone.
Keep Dementia and Alzheimer’s at Bay
On the good news front, evidence continues to mount that one way to stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s is to keep the brain challenged and working. I believe that all the writing and website work I’ve done throughout my lifetime has been the best exercise I could have given my brain to keep it stimulated, and I intend to keep writing and working on my website as long as I deem it worthwhile.
In a study of 469 people age 75 and older, neurologist Joseph Verghese of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported that participants with the highest number of mental activities had a 63 percent lower risk of dementia than subjects whose scores were in the lowest third. “Now we know that learning provides a defense against dementia,” he said, “even in the presence of brain abnormalities characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Mental activities in this study included playing bridge, doing crossword puzzles, and playing a musical instrument. Verghese says the more hours people spend engaged in mentally challenging tasks, the more protection gained.
Another researcher, Dr. David A. Bennett at Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, says “People who continue to learn, to embrace new activities, new skills—in essence, to exercise their brains—continue to build up connections that lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. We may be able to delay Alzheimer’s disease for several years, meaning that even if it is in the cards for us, we may not live long enough to get it.”
Anyone who’s getting older and is being challenged daily by being active on the Internet, running their own business, or struggling to learn website design or eCommerce has a big head start on fighting Alzheimer’s in their old age. I plan to keep stretching my mental capacities as long as possible, and I bet you do, too.
The first paragraphs of the article “Your Brain is a Reservoir” hooked me: “The truth is there’s no single ‘miracle cure’ for memory problems or other brain changes that come with aging. But there is cause for optimism. Science points to a combination of social factors and healthy habits that—taken together—can help you build, preserve, and protect your brain’s function over time.”
How Music Stimulates the Brain
I appreciated the copy of an article my sister Mary sent me from the July 2024 issue of AARP titled “Embracing Music May Improve Your Health.” It speaks about the therapeutic powers of music and its connection to brain health and improved cognitive ability—fascinating reading for any musician.
At a recent Music, Brain Health, and Dementia Summit, researchers were working to determine what types of dementia might benefit from the sound of music. They concluded that music helped organize activity in the brain better than listening to sounds of nature. That article led me to another page about AARP’s Music and Memory Series.”
One article I strongly related to was about how music unlocks memories. One song from my past can create a whole movie of related memories in my mind. For example, whenever I hear “I Lost My Heart in San Francisco,” I mentally travel back to 1965 when Harry and I spent four memorable days in this city when he was on tour with the Chicago Symphony. I’m especially grateful for those memories now that this city is no longer as safe, clean, and beautiful as it once was.
Another related article I found on Harvard Health Publishing is “Music as Medicine.” Whatever medical challenges you may face, music can be a salve for your soul. It’s a powerful force for good cognitive health regardless of age. But you youngsters out there—I would caution you not to turn up the volume of your music to the point where it damages your hearing.
Finally, if you're concerned about memory loss, here’s good news from an article I read (but forgot to notate): “The brain can grow new cells and form new neural connections. Like our muscles and other body parts, the brain can rebuild itself through repeated use and exercise.” We should remember that.
The Importance of Reading
and Handwriting
READING: There’s nothing like reading to stimulate your mind and help you achieve personal or business goals. As a voracious reader of books on writing, editing, designing, and self-publishing, I learned how to make a living as a writer, speaker/workshop leader, and self-publisher. In my later years, I also learned how to be a capable book editor and consultant to authors. Through reading and networking with interesting and accomplished people I’ve met online, I’ve learned so much from so many and am still learning today. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to do countless things myself when I didn’t have the money to hire someone to help me.
HANDWRITING: I’ve recently done research for a friend whose MCI is making it hard for her to finish a book she’s writing for her grandchildren. She can no longer use the computer and says handwriting is hard for her and hard to read as well, so I’ve strongly encouraged her to write her stories by hand, no matter how hard it is. There is considerable evidence about the impact of handwriting on the brain. This excerpt from the article “The Cognitive Benefits of Handwriting: How It Boosts Memory and Learning” says it well: “Handwriting can have a range of benefits for the brain, including a calming effect, coordination of the left and right brain, boosting cognitive skills, inspiring creativity, sharpening aging minds, and improving memory.”
I hope all I’ve discussed in this Bulletin will be helpful to you or someone you love. I leave you with a quote that gave me a chuckle:
“If I’d known I was gonna live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
Eubie Blake (1883-1983) Jazz pianist, dancer, composer
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First published as a Brabec Bulletin on March 6, 2025.
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