Mentally Sweating - Good for Your Health, by Ron Manheimer

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by North Carolina Center For Creative Retirement
on Friday, May 15, 2009

A recent national survey, "Brain Health Poll," conducted by the American Society on Aging, found that 90 percent of respondents thought it was possible to improve brain fitness. And they were right. How is it, then, that we can keep our minds growing and thriving?

Until recently, brain researchers (neuroscientists) thought that brain cell formation ended at about age three. Advances in scanning technology and cellular biology now reveal that brain cells continue to form in response to behavioral challenges and new life experiences throughout the entire life cycle. The old adage, "use it or lose it," is as true for muscle mass as for brain health.

Geriatric psychiatrist Gene Cohen, author of The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain (2006), says that to improve brain fitness we need to engage in activities such as reading, doing word games, playing music, tackling a new language, and writing. These are all good sources for new learning that make us feel we are "mentally sweating."

While some people prefer to challenge their minds as a solo activity, others welcome the opportunity for continued learning in the company of peers. Being part of a learning community has the added benefit of widening your social network and making new friends, a definite plus for both mental and physical wellness.

The greater Asheville area offers hundreds of ways to challenge your mind and body in positive ways. Among them is the NC Center for Creative Retirement at UNC-Asheville. The Center, now in its 19th year, invites people of all ages to sign up for non-credit courses ranging from "Photoshop for Photographers" to "Great Russian Short Stories," to "Critters of the Blue Ridge." And for body-mind-spirit exercisers, there's T'ai Chi, Yoga and much more

The essence of NCCCR's approach is that it is a learning community in which members do most of the teaching or facilitating and a good deal of the arranging and coordinating of a multitude of programs and events. In other words, it's a hands-on kind of place.

So if you're looking for ways to ensure your brain health and have fun at the same time, get hold of the center's catalog by calling 828-232-5181 or connect to www.unca.edu/ncccr/. Don't sweat the small stuff; sweat mentally.

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