Extension to offer Brain Fitness class Mar. 5

The University of Missouri Extension in Butler County is offering a Boost Your Brain & Memory: Brain Fitness Class. Just as you can control and improve your general physical health with good habits, so too can you improve the health of your brain—boosting your memory and mental agility, as well as reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.

Although research is finding links between genes and one’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the exact cause is more likely a combination of genetics and other factors. Practicing good brain health at any age can help stave off the disease, as well as build up your cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is a term describing the brain’s resilience toward damage.

The good news is that our brains are able to continue forming new neural connections throughout our life cycle. (This is called neuroplasticity.) In other words, no matter what your age, your brain health can improve as the internal structure of its neurons changes and as the number of synapses between neurons increases. Both of these phenomena can trigger change in our behavior, environment, and learning.

You can boost your brain health by focusing on healthy habits in six areas: intellectual activity, nutrition, physical activity, social engagement, spiritual activity, and stress management.

The class uses a whole-person approach that helps you form new habits to live a healthier lifestyle, remember things better, be more organized, pay closer attention and regulate your emotions. Each participant will receive a workbook including memory exercises, tips on nutrition and exercise, and summaries of evidence-based research on brain health. Our aim is to help participants implement new habits to maintain cognitive health while also practicing new skills for better memory.

The workshop will meet on four consecutive weeks with a 2 hour sessions at the Extension Center located at 614 Lindsay Ave, Suite 3 in Poplar Bluff, MO. To register, call the University of Missouri Extension Office at (573) 686-8064. A $35 registration fee is required at registration. A class will start March 5, 2019 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and will be held on Tuesdays. You can visit our website at extension.missouri.edu/butler