When it comes to ageing brain, don’t believe everything you hear. Doing crossword puzzles used to be perhaps the best advice in terms of how ageing adults can keep their brains sharp during the golden years. However, there are several ways that can help you reduce the risk of cognitive decline in general and keep your brain in the best shape. As one of the leading senior living communities in India, we debunk the common myths about ageing: A healthy lifestyle doesn’t affect brain health: Your brain is in charge of keeping your heart beating and lungs breathing. It lets you move, feel, and think. But a poor diet, dehydration, and stress help in generating free radicals that damage brain cells. It is thus important to give your brain the nutrients it needs by eating a variety of nutrient-packed food, exercising regularly, and keeping yourself hydrated. When you are stressed, the body responds with inflammation which subsequently reduces the brain’s ability to function and transmit information. Learn ways to manage your stress. Doing yoga, writing a journal and meditating are some ways that can help you change negative thought patterns. Sleep doesn’t matter: Often it is thought that poor sleep is a normal part of ageing, but it is not. In fact, deep sleep is very important for seniors as it reduces the risk of cognition loss and dementia. According to a study, lack of deep sleep reduces word recall memory. Your sleep pattern may change as you age but disturbed sleep should not be ignored. Those having trouble sleeping should see a doctor. Gum disease is actively related to brain health: One of the more surprising connections scientists have found is between gum disease and cognitive decline. It has been found that bacteria that cause gum disease can move from the mouth to the brain. Once in the brain, the bacteria can destroy nerve cells, which in turn can lead to memory loss, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Now, you have one more reason to make good oral health a priority. Dehydration and brain function: All the cells in the body need water to carry out essential functions. Therefore, when the body is dehydrated, brain cells cannot function as they should. Exercise is good for the heart: Well, you all know that exercise is good for your cardiovascular health. But what about your brain? Exercise increases the heart rate, pumping more oxygen to the brain. This stimulates chemical changes that provide an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells which boosts one’s learning skills, mood and thinking abilities. Exercising also releases happy hormones that helps one manage stress. As a leading senior living community operator, we encourage positive ageing at our communities by offering the right atmosphere to lead a physically and socially active lifestyle.

A smile can make your day. But do you know that smiling has many health benefits? A study of baseball card photos taken in 1952 revealed that the smiling players lived longer than their non-smiling counterparts. Not only does a smile lighten your mood, but it has the potential to boost your physical health. To give you more reasons to smile, we at Columbia Pacific Communities, one of the leading senior living communities in India, have curated interesting insights on smiling. So here we go: Boosts immune system: A happy face can lift your mood and relax your body; this helps to boost immunity. Not many may know that laughing increases immunity cells and infection-fighting antibodies. Reduces stress and anxiety: When you laugh, the after-effects of that laughter stay with you for long. Laughing is not just a simple act. It is an act that relaxes the body, releases tension in muscles and also increases feel-good hormones. An increase in feel-good hormones naturally translates into less reduced stress and anxiety. Eases pain: Well, you must have heard that smiling through painful situations is good. Well, it is actually true. Laughter releases endorphins that are responsible for triggering positive feelings. They are also the body’s natural pain reliever. Laughter helps to lessen the perception of pain. Good for cognitive function: When the brain experiences stress and anxiety, it can find it difficult to retain new information. However, laughter reduces stress and anxiety. This promotes better cognitive function, helping the brain to learn new thing and make new memories. It is a good cardio workout: A hearty laugh is no less than a workout. When you laugh, there are many organs that get stimulated. From your lungs to your heart, from your abdomen to your face, each organ gets a little bit of exercise. Laughter improves your intake of oxygen which can actually benefit your respiratory health. A good laugh also causes the brain to release endorphins that help keep stress and anxiety at bay. Lowers blood pressure: With age comes the challenge of controlling blood pressure. Laughing not only has a positive impact on your mood but it also improves blood circulation. So, laughter has the potential to keep your heart happy. Laughter indeed is the best medicine. With so many health benefits, it is best to laugh and let the world around you laugh with you. Read More – 6 Steps to Healthy, Happy Ageing Happiness Tips for Seniors Living in Community Living Facility

Exercise offers several health benefits to people of all ages, including seniors. But one exercise that particularly benefits seniors is swimming. Being a low-impact exercise, it doesn’t exert too much pressure on the joints, making it an ideal exercise for seniors. To make sure that our residents benefit from swimming, some of our senior living communities in India have swimming pools with non-slip vitrified tiles all around them. Swimming is a complete work out for seniors. Here are a few of the health benefits that swimming offers to seniors: Improved cardiovascular health: Swimming is great for your cardiovascular health. Regular swimming helps you lower your blood pressure by making your heart more efficient in pumping the blood. The improved blood circulation reduces the risk of heart disease. Increased flexibility: Stretching exercises help the body regain flexibility. Swimming is an overall workout that promotes flexibility in your legs, arms and neck. The strokes and motions used in swimming help naturally relax the muscles and alleviate back pain. Weight management: As you age, your metabolism slows down, making it difficult for you to lose weight as easily as you could have done earlier. Regular swimming helps in improving metabolism. The good thing about swimming is that you not only shed calories but also get toned muscles, giving you a better posture. As swimming is an exercise that is easy on the joints, it is ideal for those who suffer from joint pain and stiffness. Improves mental health: Swimming is a little more fun than lifting weights in the gym for many people. Swimming is a great way to socialise. When done with friends, swimming can be fun. Being in the water has positive effects on the overall mood of a person. Whether it’s swimming or enjoying light exercises in the gardens, our senior living communities help our residents enjoy an active life. The wellness programmes at our senior living communities are designed by trained physiotherapists. We take a holistic approach towards the overall well-being of our residents.