Fitness is not limited to physical well-being; it also includes mental reinforcement. Arnold Schwarzenegger often talks about the importance of maintaining brain health with the help of various tools. In his recent newsletter article in ‘Arnold’s Pump Club,’ he highlights studies on brain diseases and a simple trick to avoid them.
Brain diseases come with aging. However, a popular study suggests one could prevent these conditions through certain activities that encourage challenges. Since such activities stop as we grow older, the brain is more susceptible to vulnerabilities.
Schwarzenegger reveals that consistent challenges to the brain can help lower the risk of cognitive decline and dementia by 40%. These activities could be mentally demanding and call for a lot of effort, but they pay off well.
One reason why accepting challenges at an older age is difficult is because individuals let their brains run on “cruise control.” This phenomenon leaves us with no room for activities that may demand mental work from the individual. However, Schwarzenegger suggests this can be easily corrected through many approaches.
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“Researchers found that the more your brain goes into cruise control, which tends to happen later in life, the more susceptible you are to potential brain disorders or diseases. So the goal is to keep learning as if survival depends on it — because it does.”
Another interesting method to accept challenging situations for the brain is to keep a reward. This situation could be in the form of a treat, self-care, or even a getaway. Depending on the situation, Schwarzenegger feels that every challenge should have a motivational end to chase.
“It might be the perfect way to give yourself a brain-boosting experience.”
The brain holds many mysteries that researchers are still unraveling. However, to keep it healthy and running smoothly, one must follow some basic steps. Apart from the challenges that Schwarzenegger mentioned earlier, exercises also help keep the brain active and thriving.
Arnold Schwarzenegger suggests exercise to combat cognitive decline
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are some of the most common medical concerns that individuals need to watch out for as they grow older. Preventative measures are always better than scouring for a cure. That’s why Schwarzenegger suggested multiple solutions, including exercise, to keep the brain healthy.
In his old newsletter article, he explained how studies showed positive results from any kind of exercise on the brain. The only trick was to be consistent with it. Researchers found that the brains, after consistent exercise, looked younger, thus preventing them from developing these diseases.
