Water AerobAicMs with Sue

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1 AS WE AGE, AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE + REGULAR EXERCISE = BETTER BRAIN FUNCTION Experts agree... Regular exercise added to an active lifestyle ALSO helps your mind stay fit HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO... Move more throughout the day elevator stairs? Make concrete plans to move your body Water AerobAicMs 8:00 t a!! s s i M Don t with Sue Add regular exercise Do more of what you love or try something new with others Aerobic 2½ hours A WEEK enjoy a moderate-intensity aerobic activity! Strength 2+ days A WEEK tone and strengthen those muscles SM The Brain Body Connection: GCBH Recommendations on Physical Activity; Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen. For more brain health tips see

2 SLEEP IS VITAL TO THE AGING BRAIN, INCLUDING COGNITIVE FUNCTION EXPERTS AGREE... Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period 22:00 Edit Alarm Exercise. Regular physical activity promotes good sleep Set Alarm Get up at the same time every day. Develop a regular sleep-wake schedule Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature Limit use of bedroom for sleep Expose yourself to light during the daytime SODA The Brain Sleep Connection: GCBH Recommendations on Sleep and Brain Health; For more brain health tips see D20318

3 Healthy Aging Requires You To Challenge Your Brain The evidence today regarding the benefits of what most people consider brain games is weak to non-existent. Don't let age limit you. You have the ability to change your brain at any age. TIP 1 Find new ways to stimulate your brain and challenge the way you think. TIP 2 Choose activities that involve both mental engagement and physical exercise. TIP 3 The GCBH defines cognitivelystimulating activities as mentallyengaging activities or exercises that challenge a person s ability to think. Seek out mentallystimulating activities that incorporate social engagement and greater purpose, such as volunteering or mentoring. Engage your Brain: GCBH Recommendations on Cognitively-Stimulating Activities; GlobalCouncilonBrainHealth.org Contact: GCBH@aarp.org For more brain health tips see stayingsharp.org D20349

4 SM WHO WE ARE The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) is an independent organization, created by AARP, in collaboration with Age UK, to provide trusted information on how all of us can maintain and improve our brain health. Clear and dependable recommendations generated by GCBH are based on the latest scientific evidence provided by scientists, doctors, scholars and policy experts from around the world. As people live longer, the need for clear, trustworthy information on brain health is greater than ever. People want to know what will help them lead meaningful, engaged lives, and the GCBH and AARP want to help them understand how to achieve a brain-healthy lifestyle. Brain health is vital to well-being across the lifespan, so our work aims to have a major impact. WHAT WE DO Scientists, academics, governments and journalists produce a stream of information, but it can lead in conflicting directions. AARP surveys have found, for example, that many people believe taking vitamins or supplements is important for their brain health, but the evidence on effectiveness is limited. The GCBH experts will evaluate the full range of brain health research to help people make informed decisions. The GCBH debates the latest advancements in brain health scientific research to reach consensus on what works and what doesn t. Our overriding goal is to cut through the clutter and provide simple steps that people can take every day to boost their cognitive health and live life to the fullest. HOW WE DO IT The GCBH will operate as a hub-and-spoke collaborative to address the many factors that can impact brain health. A core group of approximately a dozen experts from around the world the governance committee will comprise the hub. This group will lead issue specialists the spokes in examining priority areas, including physical exercise, mental engagement, diet, sleep, stress levels, socialization, medications and supplements. Building on the Institute of Medicine s Cognitive Aging Report (April 2015), the GCBH will focus on priorities identified by scientists, the popular press and AARP surveys. GCBH REPORTS The GCBH has published reports: The Brain-Body Connection The Brain-Sleep Connection The Brain and Social Connectedness Upcoming topics include: Cognitively Stimulating Activities Nutrition Supplements For more information, please go to globalcouncilonbrainhealth.org. Or contact Dr. Lindsay Chura, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Global Council on Brain Health, at LChura@aarp.org. About Age UK: AARP founded the Global Council on Brain Health in collaboration with Age UK, which is the United Kingdom s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. AARP and Age UK have worked together on numerous public policy projects, and this new joint effort will help ensure the GCBH s engagement is global. About AARP: AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a history of convening leading organizations and experts to address critical social issues to help people live their best lives. AARP launched the Global Council on Brain Health to partner with others throughout the world interested in the same goal helping all people be healthy and live well.

5 AS WE AGE, FEELING CONNECTED + PURPOSE IN LIFE = BETTER BRAIN HEALTH Experts agree... Keeping and building relationships over your lifetime can help to keep your thinking sharp HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO... Join a group Get a pet Teach someone something Volunteer or help others Use technology to stay connected Share a smile! SM The Brain and Social Connectedness: GCBH Recommendations on Social Engagement and Brain Health; For more brain health tips see For more ideas to help you engage socially see D20323