Adults/Seniors

Filled With Life: The Benefits of Mental Exercise for Seniors

Most people believe that brain growth takes place only during childhood and young adulthood. Younger generations are characterized by their inquisitiveness, their rapid assimilation of new knowledge, and their eagerness to experience new adventures.

Conversely, the elderly are viewed as forgetful, resistant to new experiences, and stubborn. And as a result, most people view their older years as a period of inevitable mental decline. The good news is, new research has proven these assumptions wrong.

According to the National Institutes of Health, seniors can maintain and improve their minds through mental exercise. Such improvement is possible thanks to a natural process known as brain plasticity. But triggering plasticity requires mental exercise. The challenge lies in targeting the areas of the brain that need exercise and choosing the right training program to strengthen them effectively.

What is Brain Plasticity?

Research has proven that throughout our lives, our brains change based on our thoughts and activities. The science of the brain is called neuroscience, and the ability of the brain to change and grow is called brain plasticity.

Brain plasticity describes the brain’s ability to reorganize neural pathways. This reorganization occurs whenever we have a new experience, learn a new skill, or memorize a new fact. In order to retain that information, a persistent change which represents that new information must take place within the brain.

For example, do you ever remember playing with Silly Putty as a kid? One of the fun things about Silly Putty is it will absorb newspaper ink if you press it onto the page. Well, this is essentially what happens in the brain when you learn something new. In order for the newspaper ink to appear on the putty, the putty must absorb the ink. In short, the putty changes. In the same way, the neural pathways in the brain are reorganized whenever someone or something literally makes an impression on you.

Brain Training, also known as mental exercise, enables you to take advantage of this plasticity and regain the adventurousness and liveliness of your youth. Here’s how it works…

What is Brain Training?

The most fundamental skills that contribute to our ability to learn are

• Visual processing
• Auditory processing
• Sensory integration
• Memory
• Attention span
• Movement

The centers for these foundational skills are found in various parts of the brain. It is important for the brain cells in each area to form pathways that connect with other regions of the brain. With good connections, the brain regions can work as a team.

During a typical brain training session, clients will listen to their auditory training music while they do balance board activities. We try to involve two skill sets at once because neurons that fire together, wire together. The brain becomes far more flexible when it uses several different skills at the same time.

We offer many options, from personally supervised sessions to at-home programs designed for personal use.  Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll help you find the training program that’s right for you.

How can I be sure this will work for me?

If you still aren’t sure about the benefits of brain trainging, take a look at these success stories from clients who used mental exercise to improve their lives:

“Upon returning to school at age 60, I realized I needed to sharpen my brain skills for learning and memorizing medical information…After several weeks of Brain Training with cognitive computer programs at Brain Works and an auditory program at home, my ability to understand concepts and retain information greatly improved. To my delight, my speed of reading also increased, which helped me to learn more information, faster…I can see how this brain enhancement process can help people of all ages and all walks of life.” – V.O.

Cindy, a 56-year-old Gainesville resident, was struggling in conversations. She found it difficult to focus on what the other person was saying, especially in a noisy environment. As a result, she lost confindence and avoided the problem by expressing her thoughts less. After she started listening training at Brain Works, she noticed improvement in her ability to listen and understand others, even with background noise. Now, she is able to interact with others without fear, concern, or indecision. “I have noticed more assertiveness and patients…deeper listening, calmness, and the ability to think more clearly.”

A few months after training at Brain Works, N.P. feels emotionally steady, focused, creative, and able to solve problems at a faster rate than ever before. “To top it all, as a 55-year-old previous non-runner, I am training for a half marathon. I am getting a book published, feel lighter in my heart and my thoughts, am more playful and understanding. I am feeling filled with life!”

What’s the next step?

Please contact us for a free, no pressure consultation to claim your right to a fuller life through mental exercise.