Who? What? When? Where? Why? And Then How?

These are the questions I have attempted to work through with my past few Notes pages.

Who? All of us, at any age, have the opportunity to strengthen our cognitive abilities and broaden our cognitive reserve.

What? What is cognitive reserve? This is our ability to strengthen, adapt, and improve our neural (brain’s) network.

Why? Yes, out of the order above. Strengthening your cognitive reserve is like strengthening your physical body. The stronger and more flexible your cognition, the longer you may deter the effects of cognitive decline often associated with aging.

When? Now, regardless of your age and brain strength today. Start today. Pick up a book you’ve intended to read.

Where? The location isn’t as important as the action. Anywhere, everywhere — make it exciting or calming, alone or in a social gathering.

How? These are the steps I’ve presented in the earlier Notes pages:

• Nutrition. Make it simple, clean, low-fat, low-sugar, and minimize highly processed foods.

• Eat a rainbow of foods, as fresh as possible and cooked as cleanly as possible.

• Movement. Walk, dance, bike, swim, garden, do yoga or tai chi, clean the house, or play with the children and/or grandchildren. Find activities that you enjoy and that you will continue to do safely.

• Sleep. The brain works to clean and restore itself during deep sleep. The brain also uses this quiet time to store recent memories from short-term to longer-term memory storage. Recommendations identify 7 to 7½ hours as an optimum quality sleep period.

• Cognitive challenges. This is the “Use it or Lose it” personal activity. As with movement, identify a challenge you enjoy. Play cards with friends. Read an author or genre of interest. Pick up that instrument you learned in your earlier days and play it again.

• Social activities. Time not wasted is time spent with family and friends. This will usually be good for everyone involved. Religious groups, book clubs, walking groups, and physical activity groups can combine social, cognitive, physical, and even nutrition into each session. A win, win, win, win.

Lastly, know your health. What are your numbers — cardiac, metabolic, visual, and hearing?

Have a detailed conversation with your doctor at your next appointment. Ask questions and write down the responses.

Make Living Well your everyday goal and enjoy.