Many studies have suggested that regular exercise helps slow ageing in the brain research in Dr Machado's neuropsychology lab indicates this does not have to be highly vigorous but simply enough to raise the heart rate. "It might be through exercise and having better blood flow and more oxygen for the brain, which cells need to do complex thinking.'' "That might be through diet and having the right kind of fat for your brain,'' she says. The good news is the brain remains malleable and there are things we can do to both optimise what's left and to reduce the risk of dementia. The bad news is that even by our 30s, some forms of our cognitive functioning have already declined. Engaging in complex thought is more difficult because we have less brain matter to help us. Lifting a barbell is harder when we are older because we have less muscle mass. But losing our thinking skills - "the cornerstone of our social interactions'' - can be devastating.Ĭontinuing to have intellectual conversations, a process in which we discover new information and reorganise it in our heads, can aid brain health.PHOTO: GETTY IMAGESĪs we age, our brains shrink in volume a gradual decline that parallels changes in other body systems. It's hard to accept that someone you know so well has completely changed.''ĭr Liana Machado, director of the neuroscience programme at the University of Otago, says cognitive functioning is something we tend to take for granted when it is working.
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"It's probably all helped, although I think that keeping your wits about you when you're old is more a matter of luck than anything else,'' she says. Before entering the retirement village, the former post office Bonus Bonds worker belonged to a choir for 20 years. Four times a week, she joins other residents in lifting hand weights and participating in a Zumba-inspired seated workout. And a sense of humour is very important.''Ī resident at Yvette Williams Retirement Village for almost four years, Mrs Patrick spends her days completing cryptic crosswords, going for walks and enjoying time with family.Īt 85, she learned to play the ukulele.
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I think it's also being aware of what's around you all the time - not getting wrapped up in yourself or thinking about things that worry you. "I put it down to doing crosswords and reading but most people do that sort of thing.