The Power of Positive Thinking
Positive thinking isn't just thinking happy thoughts. Positive thinking trains the brain to focus on what's right rather than on what's wrong. Participants in the Super Noggin program know the value of keeping a gratitude journal to train the brain to see what's important and valuable in our lives. Other ways to think positive thoughts are to identify your strengths (make a list and try to use your strengths more often and in new ways), express appreciation to others, and perform acts of kindness. As we do this kind of brain training, we will see the benefits in many aspects of life. Source: Johns Hopkins Health Alert, June 30, 2011.
Get Your ZZZZZs
A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women with sleep breathing disorders are at higher risk for cognitive impairment. Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2011;306(6):613-619.
Getting enough good quality sleep is important for both physical health and cognitive wellness. But if you have a breathing disorder, you may not even know it. One main symptom is feeling tired all the time. If you think you aren't getting quality sleep, maybe it's time to find a sleep clinic to diagnose the problem. The Super Noggin class "Better Sleep" exposes eight myths about sleep, identifies four major causes of sleep disturbance, and presents over 20 strategies for a good night's sleep.
Walking for Brain Health
More evidence is in on the benefits of physical activity for brain health. A study of 2800 women with cerebrovascular diseases (known to be associated with cognitive decline) showed that those who walked briskly for 30 minutes daily had significantly slower rates of decline than those who did not get this much exercise. "Stay Active" is the number one step in Super Noggin's "Ten Steps to Brain Fitness" class. We can't say it enough: what's good for the heart is good for the brain. Source: Arch Intern Med 2011, July 25; 171:1244, reported in Journal Watch Neurology August 2, 2011.
Be Kind to Your Brain
Boxers, football players, and other athletes who suffer repeated blows to the head are much more likely to develop dementia in later life. Parents should be aware of this when they allow their children to play contact sports. The rate of sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries among people under age 20 increased roughly 60% between 2001 and 2009. Source: Physician's First Watch October 7, 2011.
But did you know that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death among seniors? People 75 years of age and older have the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalizations. Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
It's important to wear a helmet when biking, skating, sledding, horseback riding or doing anything that might put your head at risk. And to develop resilience and help prevent falls, Super Noggin offers enjoyable exercises such as Conductorcise® and Super Steps to focus on balance and strength.
Super Noggin has joined with mindRAMP & Associates to add even more to our program. A series of entertaining and informative DVDs produced by the experts at mindRAMP will now be part of the package of program materials. "This is Your Brain on ..." is a series on what stimulates the brain... and how. "This is Your Brain on Chocolate and Coffee" is a big hit with many. There's also "This is Your Brain on Quilting" and "This is Your Brain on Sports." These ten 30-minute videos are perfect for use at the Celebration meetings: they meet the Super Noggin requirement that the activity be both fun and mentally stimulating.
Super Noggin is an innovative cognitive fitness lifestyle program developed by LEAF Ltd., a private foundation and 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of cognitive wellness.
Contact Super Noggin to learn how you can get a Super Noggin program started in your community. We've just put together a Provider's Guide to answer all your questions. Email info@SuperNoggin.org.
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