As the prevalence of Alzheimer’s increases, researchers continue to study various foods, exercises, and types of work that may help to protect you from developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. An important concept to understand is the cognitive reserve theory which refers to the representation stored within the brain of the knowledge, experience, and life events that accumulate during the course of a person’s lifetime.
A helpful analogy is to consider two people who have both lost their homes due to a natural disaster. One person is a millionaire who is barely bothered by the destruction. The other person makes an average salary and is devastated by the loss as all his wealth is tied up in the house. Similar to wealth, cognitive reserves are built over time. The bigger your cognitive reserve is, the more support you may have against dementia. Devoting your lifetime to building up your cognitive reserve leads to healthy cognition later in life.
The brain has a never ending capacity to learn and build your cognitive reserve. By learning something new or engaging in different hobbies that truly grip your attention, you’re challenging your brain and strengthening valuable neural pathways. The most effective activity is thought to be reading for pleasure. Reading is effective because it challenges and builds your memory.
Experts found that fiction challenges the brain more than non-fiction because it demands full awareness of the narrative you’re wrapped up in, while simultaneously requiring you to recall characters and plots described earlier in the book. Although reading is thought to be the most effective tool in building your cognitive reserve and combating dementia later on in life–you can’t go wrong by attaching yourself to a meaningful hobby that stimulates your brain. Becoming obsessed with an intellectually stimulating hobby (in a healthy way) is vital for strengthening your brain power and memory. Check out this article for more info!