A doctor online yesterday asked an important question: “What is the value of a long life, if you are only facing ill health and perhaps even dementia?” And he’s right. Maintaining good physical health so you will live for a long time is only one part of aging. Another part is maintaining as much mental sharpness as possible as the years unfold.
And a good way to maintain good brain health is by keeping up with what is new and what is going on in this world – ugly as it seems, some days. No cuddling up in the past, wrapped in tired habits and worn outlooks from years ago. Happily, it is easy to start keeping up with the 21st Century while exercising your brain online with a daily news workout. (Yes, it’s true that things are changing so fast sometimes it is scary, but you can keep in touch with the world online in the morning while still in the comfort of your home and wearing your pajamas.)
Get Brainy Online
You could, for example, start your daily brain-workout on Google News, a free website that has links to media around the world, changing hourly. I like it because it posts headlines from dozens of sources — right, left and middle. This morning there were headlines with links to 64 newspapers, magazines, newsletters, TV networks, online websites in the U.S. and abroad. Each had a different version of what it regarded as news ranging from the gossip about the British Royals to controversies about health issues to fashions in Nigeria to the latest reports from the White House and the Department of Justice. And you are asked to select which news sources you want to see including local newspapers around the U.S.–not told to watch just one or two.
But news sources to keep you mentally involved and challenge your brain are just the beginning. Here are some other ideas.
Do Puzzles, Games, and Crosswords Online or Off
Search for sites where you can do mind-stretching online puzzles and games, often for free. Wordle on the New York Times website is enormously popular and their Connections puzzle is also challenging, but you have to be a paid subscriber to either the newspaper or their games newsletter. I do Angry Birds Friends – which is not for everyone, but it’s free. Traditional crosswords and Sudoku are also good. And if you search on Google you can find ones that are free! Of course, you can always do them the good old fashioned way on paper with a pencil or pen.
Cook your way to longer life
Another way to stay curious is to try new recipes. One winter years ago in Seattle I set out to learn how to cook Moroccan food. It meant a lot of vegetables, couscous, new spices and was delicious.
After a few months of Moroccan food and several additional pounds on my hips, I decided to return to salads and a high protein diet plus bicycling to get the weight off. Recently I found that old cookbook, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert, and started adding tagines and Moroccan salads to my diet again. Just not every day.
My sister took the same approach to learning how to cook Thai food which she now serves regularly at home. She’s moved on to learning how to play a Peruvian flute. She is 78. She also works full time.
Or take up kayaking
Yet another example comes from a friend who decided, while in his early 70s, that he wanted to start kayaking so he bought a lightweight, inflatable kayak. His home was 5 minutes from the edge of the Pacific and the same distance from a sheltered bay.
While he is reasonably physically fit for a 70-something, he had no illusions about his ability to fight the waves rolling in on the Pacific. He started his new adventure in the bay because it had flat water and he could just paddle around in his new kayak to see the sights along the waterfront while his brain as well as his body learned new water craft skills. Maybe one day he will take on more challenging waters…or maybe not.
So, stay curious, enjoy new things, and eat your veggies. Your goal is to have a good and interesting life as well as a long, mentally and physically healthy one.
Tell your friends about this!
Discover more from Real Life Retirement
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
