Feeling better about yourself, having more energy, and even being healthier need not necessitate a disruption in your daily routine.
In this last volume of his engrossing series, Dr. Michael Mosley reveals more simple, science-based adjustments to your daily routines that will improve your life.
Daily dance for five to 10 minutes
Although I’m not one of the world’s most natural dancers, I enjoy salsa nights with my wife, Clare. And if you, too, enjoy breaking a leg, you will be glad to learn that dancing is more successful than typical fitness activities at boosting your muscles, balance, and brain health.
Dancing enthusiastically can increase your heart rate to more than 140 beats per minute and provides an excellent combination of low- and high-intensity workout bouts.
It can lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke, enhance cognition, and protect against dementia.
Brain imaging studies indicate that it can enhance the size of the hippocampus (the region of the brain responsible for spatial memory) and improve white matter (the number of nerve cells) in memory and processing speed-related regions.
We are all natural dancers, even myself. According to Dr. Julia Christensen, a former dancer who retrained as a neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, humans are the only species with a unique connection between ear and leg, which means we are built to tune into the rhythm of our motions.
She advised me that relaxation is the key to reaping the benefits of dance. Therefore, have fun and dance as if no one is watching (since they probably aren’t).
If possible, dance with others. It offers a more potent stress-relieving impact due to the bonding involved. Dancing enthusiastically with others may even help us manage pain by triggering the production of endorphins – potent hormones that relieve pain and produce happy emotions.
Daily investment of 20 minutes in new abilities
I attempted oil painting recently. It was the first time I had drawn anything since I was a child, as well as the first time I had used oils. I was horrified when the model entered and wrapped herself over a chair. I had no notion how to begin.
The art instructor taught us the fundamentals and then left us to our own devices for several hours. It astonished me how captivating it was. I messed up the model’s hands, and her feet became hideous pink blobs, but I was satisfied with the final product.
This is a really difficult task to undertake, especially at my age (65), but that is precisely why they have such a significant influence on the aging brain.
According to Alan Gow, a psychology professor at Heriot-Watt University, acquiring new abilities later in life may result in the production of new brain cells.
The process of approaching anything new, especially in a group, might alter your thoughts and emotions. If the skill is sufficiently difficult, your brain will be forced to create new neural pathways and form new connections, ultimately enhancing your intelligence.
The research of Professor Gow reveals that after three months of practicing a new skill, people exhibit increases in their cognitive abilities, particularly in the regions of the brain most impacted by aging.
“Processing and thinking speeds tend to be among the first regions of brain function to diminish with age, but we believe that acquiring a new skill has the greatest impact on these areas,” he continues.
‘It can reverse the sense of “slowing down” that comes with aging, and if you continue to perfect the skill, this effect could extend to other cognitive abilities and boost memory as well.’
According to Professor Gow, it is never too late to attempt new things, and the longer you persist with them, the greater the cumulative benefits. People who keep their abilities tend to live longer, healthier lives, so it makes sense to take advantage of opportunities to enhance them.
Learning a new language is one of the best things you can do for your brain since juggling between sounds, words, thoughts, and grammatical and social standards improve blood flow and connections across the entire brain. It can increase intelligence. For the greatest advantage, though, you must practice five hours each week.
Take a hot bath before bedtime
A soothing hot bath is one of those rare joys that are not only enjoyable but also beneficial, lowering blood sugar levels and the risk of heart disease.
In addition, a hot bath one and a half hours before bedtime may help you fall asleep faster and increase the quality of your sleep.
Taking a hot bath raises your core body temperature. However, the sleep-inducing effects of a sauna only become apparent once you leave and begin to chill down.
As your body’s core temperature decreases, it mimics the onset of sleep by activating the release of the sleep hormone melatonin and delivering a strong signal that it is time for bed, according to Jason Ellis, director of the Northumbria Sleep Centre.
