Most of the people want to stay mentally fit as they grow older but they don't have specific things doing about it, and the reason is they don’t see or feel a need for it yet.
What’s striking to me about this is that the same people will go on and on about what they do for their physical exercise, a healthy diet and in some cases, therapy or meditation for mental health. They attend Weight Watchers and track their points religiously. They don’t miss a day with gym. They hit the gym and track how much weight they move. They shop at the market weekly for organic vegetables, use little salt in their foods, etc. They attend yoga and aerobics. And they do these and that things to be healthy overall.
But why not brain health? Why hasn’t it hit mainstream yet?
I think its just a matter of time. We need to continue to get the word out to the news media about how important brain health is. Its not about waiting until you are 70 anymore to do something about your brain health. Its about living a brain healthy lifestyle from now until you are 70 and afterwards.
Earlier in 80s people use to eat a high-fat diet and rarely exercised. There were no gyms. And as far as mental health, it wasn’t ‘normal’ to go to therapy till last decades.
So, I am hopeful we’ll see the same phenomenon with brain health and brain fitness. The more the media writes about it, the more mainstream health insurance and doctors acknowledge the benefits and the more we talk to our friends of any age about it, the faster we’ll spread the word and make it mainstream.
Someday brain fitness will be top of mind just like eating healthy and exercising. I just hope it comes sooner than later.
- Team Shirsa
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