🏁 Axios Finish Line: Train your brain

Plus: What actually works | Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Jul 12, 2022 Jul 12, 2022 Welcome back. Join the conversation at finishline@axios.com. Smart Brevity™ count: 469 words ... 2 mins.     1 big thing: The anti-dementia lifestyle Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   What if we could train our brains to keep dementia at bay? A new U.S. research study is trying to find a viable way. Why it matters: The number of Alzheimer's cases in the U.S. is rising as baby boomers age, but hopes of a miracle cure are far away. Now researchers are looking for evidence that lifestyle changes might reduce the risk for this debilitating disease and other types of dementia. By the numbers: 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's today. That'll rise to 12.7 million by 2050 unless there's some breakthrough preventative treatment or cure for the disease, the Alzheimer's Association estimates. What's happening: In a "first-of-its-kind" trial, researchers are digging into whether eating right, exercising the body and exercising the brain can stave off Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, The Boston Globe reports. The researchers are recruiting people from 60 to 79, and dividing them into two groups. One group will get general guidance on eating and living well. The other will get specific food tips — like the Mediterranean diet — and workouts for the mind and body. The goal is to track whether measures like training your brain can really reduce the risk of developing dementia. The key part of the study is exercising the brain. Here are some ways you can train your brain, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada: 1. Play. There are endless games that use your mind, including crossword puzzles, Sudoku, chess and checkers. The study detailed above is brain-training with BrainHQ, which has online games that work memory, speed, attention, people skills and navigation skills. 2. Cross-train. Do things you aren't comfortable with. If you love to listen to podcasts, read. If you struggle with hand-eye coordination, try throwing darts. 3. Learn. Take up a new hobby or learn a new language. Plus, a slew of habits we've written about in Finish Line — including meditation, coffee- and tea-drinking, and getting enough sleep — have been linked to reduced risk of dementia. The bottom line: We'll look out for the results of this new study, but we already know healthy habits make a difference. No matter what age you are, making positive lifestyle changes — big or small — can pay huge dividends as you get older. Share this story.     A message from Axios Clear internal communications elicits action     Take your team's productivity to the next level with Axios HQ — an AI-powered platform that helps you write with clarity and efficiency. Connect with our team to learn more.     🎨 Chew on this One of the best ways to stave off dementia is stimulating your brain with art. Painting, sculpture, woodworking and pottery — when taken up in middle or old age — reduce the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, a Mayo Clinic study found. Trying new things — whether artistic or athletic or just plain fun — is healthy for our brains.   Thanks for reading. Invite your friends to sign up. Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: