NOT in my wildest dreams did I ever think that one day, my goal in life would be to become a super ager. Truth to tell, I was just like everyone else—I only wanted fame and fortune. Today, however, I’m boldly going for super aging.
Are memory loss and cognitive decline inevitable consequences of aging? Well, that’s what we all used to think. But neuroscience now tells us that we can actually grow brain cells at any age and we are capable of rebuilding our brains till the day we expire.
Super agers, a term which refers to people of advanced age with youthful brains was coined by neurologist and scientist, Marsel Mesulam.
Modern neuroscience shows us that when we push our brains to the point of pain and exhaustion as when we work hard at something or perform a difficult task— critical regions in our brain actually thicken. This means cell growth.
Neuroscientists liken the brain to a muscle—no pain, no gain. If you don’t use it, you lose it. A sedentary life paves the way for muscle atrophy. A non-thinking life paves the way for brain atrophy.
Strenuous physical and mental work actually pushes the brain to evolve—to rebuild, reorganize and rewire.
While solving a problem or learning a new skill causes some degree of stress—not all stress is bad. Some stress is actually necessary to keep our brains wired and working which also allows our bodies to stay healthy and functioning.
Is forgetfulness inevitable? Yes. But significant cognitive decline need not be. The bad news is that not everyone is born with a super ager brain. The good news is that everyone is capable of developing a super ager brain.
You want to be a super ager? Use your brain. Work at something with passion and dedication and keep going till the day you die. Live inspired. Don’t give up on your dreams, your causes or your ideals. Don’t stop fighting. Don’t retire. Re-invent, recharge, rewire.
Love deeply. Forgive easily. Let go. Eat healthy. Sleep early. Move more. Accept physical and mental challenges. Don’t let fatigue, frustration or failure scare you. Not all pain is bad. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Not all stress kills.
Social interaction. Spirituality. Significance. Purpose. Passion. Physical movement. When we increase the blood and oxygen flow in our bodies, we increase our brain’s plasticity. This is how we nurture our brain’s ability to grow new cells.
Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that one day, my goal in life would be to become a super ager. The bad news is that I need to survive before I can even aspire to super age. The good news is that I can hit two birds with one stone while at it. So I will boldly aim to survive and super age—because we all need to hold on to our dreams.