You’ve probably read or heard all the latest tips to be physically healthier – get your 10,000 steps in, eat more protein, wear a weighted vest (or maybe don’t, the jury is still out on that last one). Recent studies show that training your brain is just as important as training your body. Certain activities can help ward off memory decline.
With help from Reference Librarian Brandee, we found studies to support the idea that activities like puzzles and crafting can help. The best part is, for each of the suggestions made by experts, there is an activity you can do or a resource you can access – free – with your Park Ridge Library card to boost your cognitive reserve.
Try something new
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology, after adjusting for age, gender, and years of education, scientists observed that playing games, engaging in craft activities, computer activities, and social activities were associated with a decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Sign up for our monthly Brain Boosters program, gather family members for our Family Puzzle Challenge, use our public computers in the Reference department, or take a Studio orientation or stop by a Stitch Night to keep your mind at work. Even our birdwatching kit, available for you to borrow through our Exploration Library, can provide you with a new way to help keep memory loss at bay. Learn a new skill like basic photo editing in The Media Lab.
Learn another language
A number of studies provide evidence that exposure to a second language can be beneficial in one’s life as early as infancy. (Bring your youngest learner to our Bilingual Storytimes in Polish and Spanish or check out our LOTE for Kids database, our online database of digital books in world languages.) Bilingualism is also associated with a delay in the onset of symptoms of dementia.
Adults can learn a new language for free with the Mango Languages database, accessible on our website using your library card, and our World Languages collection of books and magazines. You can also access foreign language newspapers via our databases.
Puzzles are proven winners
One study’s findings show that, specifically, late-in-life crossword puzzle participation, independent of education, was associated with delayed onset of memory decline in persons who developed dementia. Use the PressReader app, listed on our Databases page, to access crosswords as well as Sudoku and a word search game.
Read, of course
Our favorite of all of the studies is one that shows reading and writing are considered mentally stimulating hobbies, and experts say you’ll get an even bigger benefit if you join a book club to make it social.
Our book discussions not only provide a well-reviewed book, but the camaraderie of discussing it when you’re done. If you are in a book club, or thinking of starting one, sign up through our Book Club Corner to get copies of books for your whole group, recommended by our staff.
Do you want to write, or does your writing need a jumpstart? Try the Park Ridge Writers Group for intellectual stimulation, friendly critique, and a source of motivation to keep your habit going, whether you’re into poetry, fiction, memoir, or another genre.
Better together
A study led by the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London suggests that “learning via solitary action may not be enough, while learning in interaction with others may be a key factor supporting acquisition of new knowledge in the real world.” This can apply to learners of any age, from a toddler meeting others at a Storytime to an adult attending a lecture, attending a program like Brain Boosters, or taking a class in The Studio with fellow community members.
Sign up for a program or class via our online calendar, or ask at any service desk for assistance.
