HOT READS FOR THE PRACTIONER
Title: Brain Agility (Book)
Competencies: stress management, cognitive hardiness, eating/nutrition, psychological well-being, exercise/physical activity
Who benefits: individuals interested in maintaining brain health, especially those who are or nearing retirement age
Consultant Usage: psychologists, nutritionists, some trainers and employee coaches, doctors and nurses
What’s it about? I had my annual physical (okay, bi-annual) on Monday. The doctor asked me what I was doing for my body. Was I exercising regularly? Eating right? Getting enough sleep?
Interestingly, he never asked me if I was properly exercising my brain.
Yet in the workplace, brain wellness is number one on the individual health scorecard. One could argue that this is also true for those of us nearing or in the retirement stage of our life.
In one of those wonderful serendipitous moments where two separate events cross paths at just the right time, I came across a short, easy to read book called Brain Agility. After just a glance at the table of contents I wished that every doctor who gives physical check-ups would give this book to her/his patients.
The book is about brain fitness. Brain fitness is a growing industry. Sales in brain fitness software alone are estimated at $225 million a year.
What I like most about this book is its holistic approach to taking care of the brain…and why it ties in so well with the annual (or bi-annual) physical check up. The book is divided into two sections. The first section explains how the brain works, and especially how it ages. It describes the relationship between aging and nutrition, stress, and physical exercise. The intent is to give the reader knowledge about how to forestall or slow the normal age-related cognitive decline.
The second section, and the bulk of the book, is filled with a wide variety of daily mental workouts to improve brain fitness.
If you are interested in the topic or want more specific information on the various mental workouts, you can go to the author’s website: http://brainagility.com/.
I would tell you more about the book myself, but it is time for me to begin my new daily brain regime. Have a healthy day!
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