AARP Survey Suggests Engaging in Brain-Stimulating Activities May Help Improve Brain Health

 

 

Staying Sharp by AARP provides holistic approach and tools to help keep the brain active 

August 10, 2017


WASHINGTON, DC —According to AARP’s recently released survey of more than 1,100 Americans over age 40, those who participate in cognitively stimulating activities (CSAs) self-report higher cognitive functioning, health, and well-being than those who don’t participate in CSAs.

CSAs examined in the survey include musical and creative activities, educational activities, physical exercise, socializing, and playing games and puzzles. Adults over age 40 engage in an average of eight CSAs per week. Those who rate their cognitive abilities as being “excellent” engage in a greater than average number of CSAs than those who rate their status as “poor.”

“Put simply, this survey is telling us that, if you work your brain, your brain will work for you,” said Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. “Working your brain is easy and involves simple activities like taking a walk, spending time with friends or reading a book. AARP’s Staying Sharp and other great resources can help inform you on how to keep your brain active and sharp.”

Key findings from AARP’s 2017 Cognitive Activity and Brain Health Survey:

• Most Popular Activities: According to survey respondents, the most popular CSAs include: consuming news (81%), cooking/preparing meals (78%), reading (66%), exercising or engaging in physical activity (56%), and socializing with friends/family (50%).
• Women More Engaged: Women engage in CSAs more often than men, at a weekly average of 9.2 vs. 7.5. Women also have a greater intent than men to add more mentally-stimulating activities into their routine, at 50% vs. 39%.
• Opportunity to Educate: When asked about the barriers that keep them from participating in CSAs, the highest number of survey respondents noted that they were unsure which activities help promote brain health (35%). The second most frequently selected response was lack of social support (26%).

Staying Sharp is a subscription-based brain health platform from AARP featuring science-based activities, challenges, recipes and articles to help promote brain health. Some of the key takeaways from the survey can be addressed by the content and features of the platform, including:

• Detailed, Practical Information on CSAs: Categorized under NOURISH (diet), MOVE (exercise), RELAX (managing stress), DISCOVER (learning new things) and CONNECT (being social), there are a number of articles, videos and activities to help inspire activity to promote brain health.
• Brain Health Assessment: Developed by scientists, this is made up of a series of questions and tasks that help people understand how their brain functions in different areas, receiving personalized recommendations for promoting brain health.

These and more tips and information can be found at http://stayingsharp.org.

More information about the survey can be found here.