Activities for mental fitness, the heart & soul
Hobbies and activities for older people that train all "muscles" - the mental and spiritual as well as physical muscles - at the same time are an immeasurable advantage. They train your body holistically and keep you fit - especially mentally. Learn more about this in the following.
In his book "Hector and the Discovery of Time", the writer Francois Lelord lets his psychiatrist Hector encounter a remarkable senior couple during his trip to China: Kathrine and Travor. The book is about the passing of time and problems with ageing, which almost all the characters have in one way or another. During his journey, Hector is always jotting down his latest findings about the mystery of time in his diary. On the train, Kathrine and Travor tell him, "You have to be lucky enough to lose the desire for certain things exactly when you also lose the ability to do them." For example, Travor used to be passionate about tennis, he says, but when the pain in his knee started, he lost interest in it too. "He was a great player," Kathrine remembers. And Hector notes, "Trevor and Katherine sang the song of time without a wrong note."
What does that mean to you?
Is there a sport or hobby you're just not as good at as you were when you were younger? Or an activity that was somehow more fun in the past?
Then this sentence from Hector's friends is for you. Actually, it's for all of us. If marathon running is simply no longer right for us, then this is a sign of change.
Swimming or dancing?
One thing should already be clear... Regular exercise is absolutely necessary for a wide variety of areas:
- Health
- Fitness
- Mental performance
- Mobility
Geriatricians recommend the "top 5" exercise programmes for older people: dancing, walking, cycling, swimming and Pilates (or equally Eastern practices such as yoga and qigong). What suits you is best decided on the basis of two things: what attracts me most and what is easiest, painless and healthiest to practise with my physical make-up? You may also want to talk to your doctor or alternative practitioner about this.
What is the secret of this top 5?
Exercise stimulates the nerve cells to form new cells. At the same time, nerve cells atrophy again without mental exercise. So seniors need to be active on both levels. This is exactly what these top 5 activities achieve best, as they combine exercise with mental stress. Yes, walking, cycling and swimming also demand a lot of coordination and spatial awareness. Similar to dancing or Pilates, you have to remember sequences of movements and keep your balance when cycling and swimming. And on top of that, you come into contact with the elements - nature or water - which in itself has a tremendously relaxing but also stimulating effect on the brain. It's a kind of communication without words that gets going.
Medical studies bring it to light
Neurologist Notger Müller from the Neurological University Clinic in Magdeburg and sports scientists Anita Hökelmann and Katrin Rehfeld report on a six-month study asking whether learning complex dance steps makes people over 60 mentally fitter: Half of the test persons did fitness training and the other half did a challenging dance training in which they had to adapt to different styles. At the end, the dancers showed a significant increase in cognitive performance in the following areas:
- Attention (including divided)
- Alertness
- Flexibility
- Balance
Those who did fitness, on the other hand, only showed improvement in alertness. In both comparison groups, the brains had grown; but in different regions in each case. Only the dancers also showed an increase in the nerve growth factor BDNF, which promotes the formation of new cells and long-term memory. After a further twelve months of training, the researchers were also able to detect growth in verbal memory in the dancers and therefore postulate that dancing delays mental decline.
Music is in the air
Or was it love? In the song, I think it was love. Hopefully you have both in the air!
Making music has a similar positive effect on brain performance as sport. This is because the processing of acoustic signals demands many areas of the brain at the same time: the auditory-processing areas and also those needed for planning and executive functions.
"Music appeals to us emotionally. That is the most important thing in learning," says Prof. Dr. Gerald Hüther, the eminent neurobiologist and learning researcher who most recently published the book Dignity - What Makes Us Strong. When you are emotionally addressed, the neurons fire. This keeps you fit. The music has to be pleasing for it to land emotionally and thus stimulate thinking on top of that. It is even better for the long-term effect on brain performance if you make music yourself. It has been proven that the development of dementia is delayed in seniors who play music. Here, too, practice makes perfect! In this case, more aptly: regularity keeps you mentally fit.
(Almost) every senior citizen can sing
If you don't play an instrument yet, know this: Older people can still learn to play. However, if you don't feel like it, just warble regularly in the shower. Or: You can find a senior citizens' choir near you. There you're sure to meet other cheerful super-agers. Then you can work your neurons together through singing and good conversation. In this way, you can ensure a long and independent life. A Finnish study proves: working memory, possible depressive symptoms, thinking ability and orientation benefit from singing and slow down the course of dementia that may already be mild.
Conclusion
Whether you're exploring the world like Travor and Kathrine, booking your next dance class, getting a ten-pass to the nearest spa or just warbling in the shower, follow your sense of excitement and inspiration! This is guaranteed to put you on the right track. Because when you're excited, your brain is awake, alert and just about to make new connections.
What? You haven't felt enthusiasm for a long time? Then do it the other way round: start with any of the activities mentioned above and just give yourself a jolt: overcome - to put it in good German - your inner pig and it will go quickly, because you will also feel more again and be more motivated to become a super-ager.
