6. Take care of your hearing.
Hearing impairment makes it difficult to participate in conversations, which can lead to social isolation, depression, and eventually dementia.
Hearing loss also reduces the stimulus itself to the brain. If your hearing loss has already started, you should try to improve your hearing through surgery or hearing aids.
7. Have an appropriate sleep pattern.
Lack of sleep, sleep disturbance is fatal to the brain. Sleeping too little or too much can more than double your risk of dementia. Therefore, you should get adequate sleep of around 7 hours a day, avoid drinking alcohol or use electronic devices before going to bed, and create a good environment for sleeping.
Also, if you have sleep apnea, it must be treated promptly. Sleep apnea can put a great strain on blood vessels in the brain by drastically reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain.
8. Stay away from alcohol.
In terms of the effect on the brain alone, alcohol is more deadly than cigarettes. This is because alcohol directly affects the brain and damages nerve cells.
According to a large-scale study of Americans in their 60s, it was found that the degree of brain atrophy increased in the order of those who did not drink at all, those who drank a little, those who drank a lot but stopped, and those who drank a lot.
9. Do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week.
Strength training is essential for the elderly. However, aerobic exercise is recommended rather than anaerobic exercise that stops breathing and gives a strong load.
When you go for a walk, it is best to walk as fast as possible, with a wide stride, and sweat a little so that you can have the effect of strength training.
In this way, you should do aerobic exercise 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes per session.
10. I also use my head while exercising.
If you exercise and use your head at the same time, you can expect a much better effect in preventing dementia. We recommend doing activities such as doing calculations in your head while exercising, singing a song, or talking to someone you exercise with.
11. Enjoy social activities.
Social isolation tends to lead to degeneration of the body and mind. Social isolation is also closely related to depression, so in order to avoid falling into the vicious cycle of social isolation → depression → dementia, it is recommended to participate in work, hobbies, and local community activities even after retirement.
12. I enjoy playing games with people.
Enjoying games played against others, such as Go and chess, is excellent for preventing brain aging. Because it takes a lot of frontal lobe to read the opponent’s number. If you are immersed in the game, your motivation will increase because of winning or losing, and you will also be able to develop your social skills.
On the other hand, online or solo puzzles are simple tasks, so it is difficult to give sufficient stimulation to the brain.
13. Motivate.
Motivating life and increasing motivation are the most important points in preventing dementia. When motivation increases, emotions and intelligence also become active. 