By Donna V. Scaglione
By now you probably know that aging affects memory by causing brain neuron loss, and this disrupts your ability to retrieve bits of information — like the name of someone you recently met. These slips are not serious, and they also can happen because you are distracted. The good news is that science is finding ways for us to fight the effects of aging on the brain. Here are some of them.
1. Worry less
Trying not to worry about whether your memory is failing is important, health experts say. A study published in the journal Experimental Aging Research that looked at people age 60 and older found that those who worried about losing their memory actually made their memory worse. Worry takes brain power away from the job of remembering, Rodale.com reports.
Learn to manage your stress by meditating or performing rhythmic breathing exercises which can actually help you maintain memory. How? Too much stress can impair the function of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved with memory. But practicing meditation, yoga, or any other exercise that relaxes mind and body helps reduce the ill effects of stress.
