Optimising Brain Health

Research shows that “brain health equals heart health”. In other words, improving your physical health is one of the best things you can do to look after your brain.

It is recommended that children should do at least 1 hour of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day, which should include a variety of aerobic activities. It is also recommended that children should do some type of physical activities that strengthen their muscles at least 3 days per week.

Adults should also limit the amount of time sitting, and doing any exercise is better than none. If you are currently not doing any exercise at all then gradually build up over time. Try to be active every day and aim to build up to between 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate exercise or about half that amount of vigorous exercise each week. It is also important that adults do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week. Remember that if you have not done much exercise for a while to seek advice from your doctor about safe ways to start.

It is well known that long-term stress can have a significant impact on physical and mental health.

Studies show that prolonged stress can impact children's learning and can increase the risk of problems later in life such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Anxiety and Depression. Long-term stress has even been shown to shrink the brain.

It is very important for everyone to take steps to manage stress. The good news is that there are lots of different ways to do this. Different activities work for different people and examples include listening to music, meditation, physical exercise, relaxing with a good book, enjoying time with friends or family and spending time outdoors in nature. Take time to relax.

Sleep is essential for ensuring optimum physical health and mental well-being. Insufficient sleep affects cognitive functions including attention, decision-making, working memory, problem-solving and emotional control. Research has also shown that insufficient sleep can cause inflammation in the brain, reduce the growth of new brain cells and increase the risk of ADHD, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Depression and Migraine Headaches.

The secret to a restful and refreshing night sleep is to develop good sleep habits: Avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks after lunchtime; Spend some time in the evening relaxing before you get into bed and avoid bright lights, especially the “blue” light from television or electronic devices; Aim to get into bed at the same time each night; Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, quiet and free from distractions such as television or electronic devices; Consider reading a book or practicing a little meditation to help you “switch off”; Finally remember to get the right amount of sleep - On average young school-age children need about 9-11 hours per night, reducing to about 8-10 hours per night for teenagers. Adults need a little less with about 7-9 hours sleep each night being ideal.