Brain Health is a Lifestyle

These 5 traits are common among seniors with good brain health.

Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) has worked with the aging population since 1898, so we know a thing or two about healthy aging. You may have heard that the best exercises for brain health are games like crossword puzzles, but they are just one small aspect of a holistic approach to brain health. We know that seniors who maintain healthy brain function, including good memory and cognition, tend to be active and inquisitive. Here are 5 traits known to help people maintain good brain health as they age:
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1. Exercise: If you follow our communications you have heard this many times: regular physical exercise is important for your overall health, including muscles, bones, cardiovascular system, and brain. Seniors who typically engage in aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, or cycling, experience increased blood flow to the brain, which delivers oxygen and nutrients essential for its optimal functioning. 
2. Something New: Typically, healthy seniors embrace the process of learning and mastering a new skill that stimulates brain activity and helps build new neural connections. It could be anything from learning a musical instrument, painting, knitting, or a new language to something as simple as using your nondominant hand for routine tasks like brushing your teeth. 
3. Eating Healthy: One of the most important things for brain health is to maintain a balanced lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, including unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and good quality proteins like egg whites, oily fish, and low-fat meats. 
4. Socializing: As brain health fails, seniors tend to disengage. Engaging in social activities and exposing yourself to new experiences can stimulate brain function. Social interactions, such as conversations, debates, or group activities challenge your thinking, improve communication skills, and promote emotional well-being.
5. Sleep: All the above improves the quality of sleep, which healthy seniors enjoy. Sleep is believed to facilitate the removal of waste products and toxins from the brain. During sleep, the brain processes and consolidates memories, helping to strengthen the connections between brain cells. Sufficient sleep improves memory recall and enhances learning abilities. Establishing a regular sleep schedule, creating a conducive sleep environment, and adopting relaxation practices before bedtime can all contribute to improving the quality and quantity of sleep.


Think about challenging your overall lifestyle – it may be fundamental for healthy aging, including your brain health.

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Did you know that Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey? So we know a thing or two about helping seniors “age in place” to avoid hospitalization and nursing homes, and also what services people need to recover from illness and surgery at home. We suggest that you learn more about our home health care services and make a plan to age at home before you have a health emergency.

Will you help? Medicare and supplemental insurance often do not cover all the care our patients and caregivers need. If you would like to help, please visit vnannj.org/donate or call VNA Foundation at 973-451-4148.

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The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.

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