Far too many of us focus on the physical body and forget about the brain. If you want to perform at the highest level for as long as possible, training your brain is not just a helpful add-on — it’s essential.

As you grow, your brain develops millions of neurological pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, problem-solve, and execute tasks with a minimal mental effort. This is due to myelin wraps, similar to rings on a tree, that wrap around the most used neurological pathways and make it easier for your brain to find these pathways. You may call it muscle memory. It's crucial to have good neurological pathways for efficient throwing deliveries or if you are needing to score well on an exam, but the downside of doing something over and over again the same way is neuro-stagnation. If you always stick to these same repetitive ways and avoid challenging yourself mentally, you don’t give your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. But this can also occur if you do the same brain exercise over and over similar to if you lifted the same weight and did the same exercise to a muscle. At some point, your muscle will stagnate because it is used to that stimulation and no growth occurs. 

This becomes especially important as we age and our cognitive function begins to decline over time. Here's how you can keep your brain young as you age:

1. Get cognitive exercise regularly

Mental stimulation or cognitive exercises have been shown to stimulate and strengthen neural connections in the brain. This helps to develop and maintain neuro-plasticity and enhances the ability to learn at any age. We really like our friends over at FocusBand and all their brain training techniques.

2. PHYSICAL EXERCISE BENEFITS YOUR BRAIN

Regular exercise increases heart rate and encourages oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain and promotes plasticity by stimulating new neural connections. Exercise can also lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar levels, decrease cholesterol levels, and reduce stress which all have positive effects on brain health.

3. FOCUS ON PROPER NUTRITION

Multiple studies report that a diet high in processed foods or sugar can lead to impaired cognitive function. Incorporate lean, organic, and local proteins and try a variation of nutrient-rich vegetables for a balanced diet and improved cognitive function. We also like taking daily supplements during the middle of your largest meal each day, such as Nordic Natural's Fish Oil, to help improve and lubricate cognitive functioning systems. If you need some help in this area, don't worry we are working on an A11 Performance Nutrition Plan to help you perform at you physical and mental best!

4. GET THE SLEEP YOU NEED

Sleep deprivation can lead to impaired memory, poor decision-making skills, and decreased concentration and overtime will have permanent consequences for brain health. We use our partners at Whoop, to help us track sleep and recovery. We like to aim for sleeping with a sleep cycle of 90 minutes. So we aim for 6, 7 1/2, or 9 hours of sleep each night and limit screen time at least 60 minutes prior to bed. This is to help get more REM sleep, which is where your brain files aways the things you learned in the previous day and your brain grows.

5. pRACTICE meditation or mindfullness regularly

Practicing mindfulness or meditation has been shown to have positive effects on the hippocampus and other key areas of the brain. Meditation not only reduces anxiety and stress, but also improves cognitive function. 

6. Avoid drugs, alcohol and tobacco

All of these substances can reduce cognitive function and should be avoided in order to keep your brain healthy and highly-functioning.

Everything we know at this time says that giving your brain adequate rest and exercise is essential, and thankfully, science has identified several ways in which you enable your brain to get what it needs. By taking charge of your rest, your actions, and your thoughts, you can give your brain what it needs to stay at its peak as you age.