In the old place, each had their spot, easily retrieved as I
headed out the door or down to do the laundry. Oh, yah, and I knew where the
laundry detergent was too. (I think I
put it in the storage area in this place.)
I had a little bit of a panic the other day when I couldn’t
find my faculty ID from the Lutheran School of Theology, where I’m guest
lecturing in a course this semester. At the old place, it was in the dining
room. But now I don’t have a dining room, instead a dining “area” in this large
loft-like studio. Just minutes before leaving for class on Monday, I finally
saw it on a wall shelf in the “office” area.
But these are less memory lapses than the need to acquire
new habits. And when those circuits are finally laid down, retrieving the keys
et al. will be automatic.
But what about maintaining memory in general? Especially as
we age? Lucky for us, it turns out to be
as easy as taking a walk. For more about
that, here’s part of a Chicago Tribune article from October 13, by Keri
Wiginton: “Brain-training apps don't work. Here's what does.”
It turns out games
aimed at training the brain will likely only help you get better at those
specific games. So you're out of luck if you're hoping those Sudoku apps will
help you focus more at work or remember where you left your keys.
There's no compelling
evidence that any brain-training product enhances cognitive performance in
real-world activities, reports a study published last week in
the journal Psychological
Science in the Public Interest.
So doing crosswords
will help you get better at crosswords, but it won't help you remember your new
coworker's name.
"A company might
claim benefits for memory, but you should ask whether the benefits extend to
memory tasks other than those you practiced, including ones that you want to
improve," said Daniel Simons, a professor of psychology at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and first author of the review.
Lumo Labs — which
claimed their Lumosity app could prevent age-related memory decline and help
kids do better in school — even
had to pay $2 million to settle a false-advertising suit brought by the
Federal Trade Commission.
So in honor of
National Train Your Brain Day, we're here to offer two techniques that
actually work.
Exercise
For memory, focus on
movement.
This is bad news for
people who hope to maintain their mind by playing on their smartphone. But it's
great for those who want to actively sharpen their focus.
"Exercise is the
only evidence-based activity that will improve cognitive fitness," said
Ken Weingardt, a professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of
Medicine.
People who engage in
higher levels of physical activity are less likely to develop heart disease,
high blood pressure and stroke — all factors related to developing dementia,
he said.
A
recent study by the National Institute of Aging shows that exercising
causes muscles to release a protein that stimulates production of new cells in
the hippocampus — a part of the brain that controls memory.
Try Nike+
Training Club if you want a personal-fitness app to keep you moving. It's
free and you can choose from four- to eight-week programs, or pick from more
than 100 single workouts ranging from beginner to expert.
(NOTE: the second technique described—meditation—is not
related specifically to memory. To read more about what that practice does help, click
here:)
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