6 practical tips from a professor of neurobiology: how to keep the brain in good shape at the age of 75

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No generation before us has been so dependent on a brain that would be healthy into old age, says neuroscientist Martin Korte.

The world we live in has never been faster, more complex and more volatile than it is today. According to Korte, focused training is necessary to stay mentally fit and meet the requirements. Gray cells need to be kept in tune, awakened and encouraged.

“The brain works very efficiently,” he says. “A soft posture in the form of thinking and educational-technical idleness punishes nature with degradation – according to the motto: use it or lose it.”

Define a clear goal of training and divide it into stages

The more accurately you model your goals and visualize yourself, the better your brain repels distractions and tempting but, unfortunately, short-term rewards. Very specific techniques of imagination help here, in which you need to try to imagine in as much detail as possible how it would be to achieve this or that goal. Ask yourself what would change then – what would make you happier and happier?

Avoid stress and negative emotions

If we feel like we have to do too many things at once, it means that we have lost some control over our brain. This awakens archaic fears in the brain, which in turn activate the threat axis in the brain. The brain loses processing power as the frontal lobe tries to prevent stress, fear and negative emotions. The result: the brain is less efficient.

According to the professor, those who still think about optimal brain function in old age should follow these 6 practical rules – and start doing it before the age of 50 to stay in good shape until the age of 75.

< strong>1. Manage your weight and eat healthy food: This way, you can avoid or treat high blood pressure and diabetes. This means: eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible, local and seasonal, but as little meat and sugar as possible.
2. Exercise regularly. Ideally about 30 minutes four to five times a week.
3. Do not smoke.
4. Check your hearing. After all, hearing problems often lead to social isolation and, as a result, to a decrease in mental capacity.
5. Take care of your teeth. Studies have shown that inflammatory responses in the oral cavity, such as periodontal disease, also affect brain health.
6. Get enough sleep. “Sleep is important for securing what you've learned in long-term memory, but also for being able to work, study and practice again the next day with focus and concentration.”