You’re only as old as you feel

YOU’RE ONLY AS OLD

AS YOU FEEL!

Mark Twain famously said

But when you think about it… what age did you feel on your last birthday?

Age is a case of If you don’t mind,

“mind over matter. ”it doesn’t matter.

Each of us has a chronological age, the number we commemorate yearly. But scientists also believe we have a “biological age”. That’s the age our bodies appear to be when a number of age-related biomarkers are taken into account – things like skin elasticity, blood pressure, lung capacity and grip strength. But how do we keep our mind sharp, so we feel as young as we are?

3 WAYS TO HELP YOUR BRAIN STAY YOUNG

1. Exercise and eat healthily Small changes in your eating habits can help your overall brain health, like eating plenty of leafy greens and oily fish. Plus, regular exercise keeps you strong, active and supple. It’s great to mix: • Aerobic exercise (walking or running) for stamina

• Flexibility exercises (yoga or pilates) to keep an upright stance

• Resistance exercises (light weights) to maintain your strength 2. Keep mentally and socially connected

Staying in touch with the people who matter to you (online or in person) boosts your wellbeing. Plus, anything that engages your mind and develops your thinking skills is good for your brain:

• Take a craft class or learn a language

• Play a musical instrument or join a choir

• Do a crossword or play cards in a group 3. Protect your hearing Studies show that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline and this has a bigger impact on our physical and social wellbeing too. When we find it tricky to hear, we withdraw from situations where our hearing loss prevents us from taking part. It’s good to: • Spot signs of hearing loss early (e.g. turning the TV up too loud for others)

• Have your hearing tested regularly

• Act sooner to preserve more

NEUROPLASTICITY AND YOUR BRAIN Recent studies have shown that our brain has the ability to change over time, according to its needs and the stimulation it is provided with. This is called neuroplasticity. But if our brain stops receiving this stimulation (for example, sounds and speech), it reorganises its pathways to aid our other functions (for example, sight). This results in a cognitive decline in that part of the brain. So, it really is a case of use it – or lose it. HOW HEARING AIDS CAN KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG When we are fitted with a hearing aid to treat hearing loss, we can maintain that flow of stimulation to the brain, utilising those neural pathways and limiting cognitive decline. A newly published long-term study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society revealed that using hearing aids limits cognitive decline in individuals with hearing loss. It found that the rate of cognitive decline was greater in those with hearing loss as compared to those with healthy hearing. But the participants with hearing loss who used hearing aids demonstrated no difference in the rate of cognitive decline compared to those with normal hearing.

THE BOTTOM LINE If we want to keep our brains healthy and active for longer, we should eat well, exercise often and look after our sight and our hearing. Studies have shown that hearing aids prevent cognitive decline, help keep us connected to our family and friends, and keep the sound processing and language areas of our brain healthy and in constant use – which keeps us connected and living life to the full for longer!

BOOK A FREE HEARING ASSESSMENT

If you’d like to book a free hearing assessment simply visit leightons.co.uk/book or call 0800 40 20 20.

IT’S TIME TO GET MORE OUT OF LIFE

Oticon More is the world’s first hearing aid to give the brain the full perspective, embodying Oticon’s BrainHearing™ philosophy. Benefits include: • A full and precisely balanced sound scene that makes it easier for the brain to perform optimally • A dedicated music programme – Oticon MyMusic – that immerses you in live or streamed music and is easy to activate using the Oticon ON app on your phone • A Deep Neural Network that enables the sounds of the world to be handled precisely and automatically • Improved speech understanding and reduced listening effort • Connectivity directly to your Apple or Android™ device