Adopt these habits now and your brain will thank you.
Cases continue to grow at alarming rates, with about 10 million peopledeveloping dementia each year.
However, physicians agree there are universal ways to dramatically boost your cognitive functioning.
Find ways to build more movement into your day walking, dancing, gardening.
Whatever works for you, saidHeather M. Snyder, the Alzheimers Associations vice president of medical and scientific relations.
Moreover,sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, emotional processing and improving problem-solving abilities.
Do all you’re able to to minimize disruptions, Snyder said.
If you have any sleep-related problems, such as sleep apnea, talk to a health care provider.
Dietary modifications and prescribing blood pressure medicationsare two common ways that physicians treat hypertension.
Stay social
Another key brain health rule is to avoid social isolation.
As social beings, the human brain thrives on interacting with others.
When this does not happen,our memory and cognition can decline over time, Tan said.
It is important to keep engaged and connected with others.
In this case, trypracticing tobacco harm reductionsuch as choosing modern smokeless tobacco products or reducing overall intake.
When should one start adopting these rules?
The earlier the better, but its never too late to start, Tan said.This article originally appeared onHuffPost.
