News Article

BRAINPOWER

An expert offers various
suggestions to help slow
age-related forgetfulness

By Nancy Arcayna

narcayna@starbulletin.com

With age comes growing concern about ordinary bouts of forgetfulness. You walk into a room and forget why. You repeatedly misplace keys or sunglasses (even when they're on the top of your head). Or you forget a familiar person's name or phone number.

No need to fret, according to Karen Gibson, who conducts "Energizing Elders" workshops. Forgetfulness doesn't have much to do with Alzheimer's disease or senility, she said. Mostly, it stems from overtaxing schedules and the demands of modern life, she said.

But when mental aging is a real concern, steps can be taken to slow the process. "Each of us has the potential to prevent brain loss," Gibson said. And it's never too early or too late to start.

Gibson recently expanded Brain Builders, her tutoring business, to include adults and seniors. The "Energizing Elders" and "Brain Boosters" programs teach exercises and activities that stimulate the mind. The program's main goal is to teach adults to use parts of the brain that control memory, reasoning, thinking and learning.

The classes evolved while Gibson was searching for ways to increase her own longevity.

"Too many elders blame lack of energy, physical strength or motivation as reasons not to participate in various activities," she said. She believes such people's situations would change if they merely try being more active and mentally engaged. Gibson suggests getting started by playing intellectually stimulating games such as chess, Pictionary or Scrabble.

"Not only will playing games ensure that seniors make time to socialize, but it will create a fun means to improve brain functioning. Any type of memory or word game is an excellent way to work on mental agility."

Simple memory games and practicing movements to improve motor function can help. "Routine is like a death signal to the brain," Gibson said.

"Kids live truly in the moment. They don't worry about yesterday or tomorrow. That is probably why they don't have heart attacks. ... No matter how old we are, we need to take time to focus on the present ... not just worrying about the past and future.

"Running on autopilot can make life boring and unfulfilling," she said. "By taking small steps to change your routine, you will be amazed how quickly your mood can be lifted."

TRYING something new need not be scary. It doesn't mean being foolhardy or taking big risks. It can be as simple as trying a new breakfast cereal or a new hobby.

Tantalizing the senses also increases brain stimulation. Specific scents can even trigger memories. And using more than one sense at a time can help strengthen brain power. "Baking chocolate chip cookies while studying enhances the whole learning process," Gibson said.