Evolve Your Senses with Neurobics to Create Cognitive Reserves for Better Mental Health as You Age.

Enjoy practical tips to optimize multiple senses and sensations with daily activities for better cognitive function, physical performance, and mental health based on experience.

Aging can cause mental decline and impairment, which is inevitable, but it is possible to increase cognitive reserves, enhance cognitive flexibility, and improve mental health as we age. There is a growing focus on technology-oriented cognitive stimulation tools or tech-therapy-oriented neurostimulation.

However, mental stimulation is not exclusive to technology tools and processes. We can use natural tools and processes. These approaches helped humans evolve. Lifestyle habits like eating, sleeping, exercising, resting, and socializing can stimulate our brains and contribute to cognitive performance and mental health.

In a previous story, I introduced the mental gym concept sharing my decades of experience. Some readers attempted to customize the approach and asked for more practical tips to incorporate into their mental stimulation protocols.

It is a pleasure for me to share more tips and explain two valuable concepts (neurobics and cognitive reserves) with real-life examples that healthy people can customize and incorporate into their daily routines to strengthen their cognitive functions and improve their mental health.

Many more activities can stimulate the brain naturally. I documented some neurostimulation tools and processes and cognitive apps and programs in previous articles, so I don’t cover them in this story.

Instead, I focus on the senses and sensations as they depict how the body detects and responds to internal and external stimuli. Senses provide information about the environment, allowing us to perceive and interact with the world.

Sensations are the result of signals that pass through neurons. Our subjective experiences arise from activating the corresponding sensory organs and receptors. Neurotransmitters, hormones, and other biochemicals facilitate communication in organs and receptors.

Until recently, conventional science literature mainly included the five senses. But new generation scientists discover new senses and associated sensations and explain those hidden ones conceptually and functionally.

Therefore, based on my research, I include sensory input sensations related to visuals, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, interoceptive, proprioceptive, vestibular, and chronoceptive processes in the brain.

Senses refer to the primary modes of perception in the brain, such as sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Sensations refer to the subjective and unfiltered experiences that arise from sensory inputs such as the sensation of a cold breeze, loud noises in a forest, or shivering in an ice bath.

Our senses are mapped to sensory organs, their receptors, neural pathways in the nervous system, and associated processing centers in the brain.

The sensory information is integrated into various brain regions to allow us to make sense of the world. Most sensations are processed in the inner part of the brain (midbrain), where the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and hippocampus reside. But many other brain regions are also involved.

Focus and attention on our senses and using them in daily life can activate various brain regions, create new neural pathways, and improve our perceptions, memories, and learning capabilities as we age.

In addition, you can turn the daily neurobic exercises into micro habits, making them hobbies, which make a ripple effect in the long run by creating new neural connections and strengthening them.

Without going into scientific and technical details, I briefly introduce senses and relevant sensations under six headings for awareness and provide practical tips to use and improve them via neurobic activities.

The critical premise of neurobics is to stimulate various brain regions, break established patterns, and create new routines by using various senses and sensations in new and unpredictable ways.

First, I’d like to highlight the importance of the cognitive reserves concept.

The Importance of Cognitive Reserves for the Aging Population

Mental stimulation and cognitive training, such as neurobics, have been a topic of enduring interest to me. I wrote a lot about cognitive flexibility to give different perspectives to readers and provide customizable options for cognitive reserves based on my experience and reviews in previous posts.

Cognitive reserves refer to the brain’s ability to maintain cognitive function despite age-related changes, cognitive decline, and impairment that might cause by neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.

Cognitive decline refers to the gradual impairment of the nervous system and the brain regions affecting patients' daily lives. It might start as mild and get intensified as the conditions progress.

Cognitive impairment describes the current state of patients. People with cognitive impairment experience memory loss, confusion, difficulty recognizing others, and constant mood fluctuations.

The most common cognitive decline and impairment are seen in dementia patients. Alzheimer’s, as a dementia type, is the most widespread cognitive decline and impairment among older adults. Currently, Alzheimer’s disease affects over six million Americans.

As I documented before using the neurogenesis concept, the brain can adapt and counterbalance changes, allowing itself to function even if it undergoes natural or disease-related changes. This concept is called cognitive reserves.

Several mechanisms can build and enhance cognitive reserves. One key mechanism is continued learning with intellectual stimulation. Therefore, reading, writing, and maths are part of traditional schooling in many countries.

Research related to the brain and mind indicates that we can develop neural connections at any age and maintain them with mental and physical practices giving us better cognitive health and performance.

Apart from mental stimuli, physical exercise can also develop cognitive reserves. Physical workouts can improve blood flow, oxygenate the brain, promote the growth of new neurons, and enhance cognitive function.

As mentioned in my previous articles, social connections and meaningful engagement with others are also vital for developing cognitive reserves within the social intelligence context. Maintaining interactive social connections can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and boost cognitive reserves.

Furthermore, managing stress creatively by initiating acute stress intentionally and lowering chronic stress with healthy lifestyle choices can stimulate the brain. They also can improve our mindfulness and meditative skills.

I explained this creative approach in a previous article. In summary, acute stress, like temporary caloric reduction via intermittent fasting, meditation, joyful movement, and exposing the body to cold and heat (thermogenesis), can create acute stress but lower the chronic one gradually.

An Introduction to Senses and Improving Sensations via Neurobics to Stimulate the Brain Naturally

The body can experience various senses and sensations via organ and endocrine gland receptors and process them in different brain regions producing sensory information.

These complex senses and sensations allow us to perceive, interpret, and respond to our environment meaningfully.

I briefly introduce senses and relevant sensations under six headings for awareness and provide practical tips to use and improve them via neurobic activities. You might choose the ones that resonate with you and customize them for your needs and goals.

1 — Visual and Chronoceptive

Our eyes detect light, convert it to neural signals, and send it to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe, which processes this information to create a visual image of the world around us.

Chronoception refers to the sensation of time. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in the anterior part of the hypothalamus receives light and dark cycles to regulate biological rhythms like circadian.

1 — Look at a new object daily and identify small details you might overlook.

2 — Close your eyes to visualize the layout of a home or office room.

3 — Get dressed, chew your food, or brush your teeth with closed eyes.

4 — Use mirrors to look at objects from different angles and perspectives.

5 — Try to read a page of a book or an article on a mobile phone or tablet’s screen upset down.

6 — Close your eyes and identify the location of different sounds at home or in the office.

7 — Pay close attention to the physical sensations in your body while walking at different speeds and with different patterns.

8 — Expose your eyes to the sunlight first thing in the morning to reset your circadian rhythms and improve your mood.

2 — Auditory and Vestibular

The ears detect sound waves, convert them into neural signals, and send them to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe, which processes this information to create an auditory image of input from the external world.

In addition, the inner ear detects head movements and changes in balance via its sensors and sends them to the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem, which processes this information to create a sense of balance and spatial orientation.

1 — Listen to your favorite music with closed eyes, paying attention to the rhythms and identifying different layers of sound, naming the interactions, and expressing how they emotionally affect you.

2 — Listen to an audiobook or a podcast at a faster or slower speed than you usually would, and analyze your comprehension at varying speeds.

3 — Listen to the animal sounds, especially birds, in nature or via media with closed eyes and imagine interacting with them based on their sounds.

4 — Listen to various speech patterns in real life or media to identify accents or dialects of your language.

5 — Listen to a foreign language audio lesson or radio program and try to repeat the phrases and sentences you hear.

6 — Sing your favorite tunes or hum while doing chores and pay attention to the vibrations in your head and throat.

7 — Develop peripheral hearing by focusing on sounds that are far away and naming them the sources of sounds and voices.

8 — Talk to yourself with compassion, record and listen your own voice, and analyze your thoughts and feelings.

3 — Tactile and Proprioceptive

The skin detects touch, pressure, and temperature via receptors and sends them to the somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe, which processes this information to create a sense of touch.

In addition, receptors in the muscles and joints detect body position and movement and send the signals to the cerebellum, which processes this information to coordinate movement and maintain balance.

1 — Try dexterous writing by asking questions with your right hand and answering with left-hand writing.

2 — Walk barefoot on beach sand and well-protected grassland.

3 — Practice balancing on a single foot safely and focus on the physical sensations in your legs and other body parts, especially your head.

4 — Practice juggling, knitting, or playing a musical intstument focusing on the physical sensations in your hands, arms, eyes, head, and legs.

5 — Try stretching using yoga or pilates movements and observe the intensity of sensations.

6 — Touch objects with different temperatures, such as warm towels, plates, touchable foods, or ice cubes.

7 — Use a dry brush to itch your skin or stimulate nerves in various body parts.

8 — Enjoy different types of massages, paying attention to the physical sensations in your body.

4 — Olfactory

Our noses detect odor molecules via receptors and send them to the olfactory bulb in the brain, which processes this information to create a sense of smell.

Olfactory sensations can create everlasting memories. I still recall memories associated with the smell from age five when my grandmother introduced them.

1 — Practice breathing exercises in nature, focusing on different flower or plant scents and how they affect your mind and mood.

2 —identify different types of herbs or spices in a meal or drink with closed eyes from their smell.

3 — Pay attention to the smells of flowers and plants in a park or garden while walking.

4 — Use scented candles or incense while meditating or having a hot tub.

5 — Try smelling new fruits and vegetables and observe their physical and mental effects.

6 — When you smell perfumes in other people, try to name them mentally or write them in your journal later.

7 — Use aromatherapy or scented oils and record your feelings afterward.

5 — Gustatory

The tongue detects taste molecules via receptors and sends them to the primary gustatory cortex in the insular, which processes this information to create a sense of taste.

1 — Eat slowly, chewing a lot, savoring each bite, and paying attention to the different tastes and textures.

2 — Try to cook new foods with flavors and cooking methods you have never tried, and record your feeling afterward.

3 — When alone, chew your food by closing your eyes and counting the number of chews until the food fully dissolves in your mouth.

4 — Try food in different temperatures and observe and record their tastes.

5 — Identify various flavors, like salty, sweet, sour, etc., by naming them when chewing.

6 — Interoceptive

Internal organs send triggering or aggravating stimuli to the insular cortex in the brain, which process this information to regulate internal bodily functions. These activities usually happen beyond our conscious awareness and manifest as various emotions. We need to tune them to regulate our emotions sustainably.

1 — Practice slow and deep breathing exercises, especially while sitting down or lying on the bed, by focusing on the sensations in your body.

2 — Try progressive muscle relaxation starting from your toes to the head and scan your body during the progress. I explained why we cannot relax.

3 — Take a cold shower, swim in cold water, or try ice baths focusing on the sensations in your skin and internal organs.

4 — Try remedial massage from a qualified masseur or reflexology treatment that focuses on various organs.

5 — Practice acupressure techniques, acupuncture, or biofeedback for interoceptive awareness and observe how pain moves in the body.

6 — Try sensory deprivation therapies, such as floating or using a sensory deprivation tank.

7 — Try dry sauna or steam sauna sessions to feel the heat in your body.

8 — Skip a meal or try intermittent fasting, focusing on the hunger sensations, and think about those who cannot afford food in some parts of the world.

By enhancing these senses and sensations, you can leverage the unique power of the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which links your conscious mind to the subconscious one to accomplish your dreams with less effort.

How about Brain-Stimulation Games as Supplementary to Neurobics?

This is an excellent idea as many people also enjoy brain-stimulating games and befit from that, as I introduced in an article titled 10 Popular Cognitive Improvement Apps or Programs for Brain Fitness.

However, as computers and video games can be addictive, we shouldn’t spend too much time playing. Allocating around twenty minutes daily might activate some brain regions.

Some people also enjoy games like sports, racing, survival, chess, and puzzles to keep their brains active. However, unlike some people, I don’t like games portraying violence. My goal is to increase my cognitive reserves as a precaution for neurodegenerative diseases.

Cognitive training tools can help maintain and improve cognitive, mental, and neurological health and enhance specific cognitive skills such as working memory, procedural memory, attention, task switching, mental flexibility, and problem-solving.

They may benefit older adults and people with certain medical conditions. Although some studies indicate that cognitive training can improve specific cognitive skills, the long-term benefits remain unclear.

Summary and Takeaways

Aging can lead to mental decline, but cognitive reserves can be increased through various means, including technology-oriented cognitive stimulation tools, lifestyle habits like exercise and socializing, and other tools and approaches.

The central premise of cognitive reserves is that repetitions can activate several parts of the brain, strengthen neural connections, and expand the neural network.

You can stimulate the brain with neurobics and turn daily chores into brain boosters. These activities involve cognitive capabilities such as focus, attention, task switching, working memory, procedural memory, and problem-solving.

In particular, focusing on our senses and using them in daily life can activate various brain regions, create new neural pathways, and improve our perception, memories, and learning capabilities as we age.

Scientists have identified new senses and associated sensations, and paying attention to them can create new neural connections and strengthen existing ones.

Incorporating neurobic exercises into daily routines as micro habits can also create a ripple effect over time. By understanding and applying these concepts, it is possible to strengthen the cognitive function and improve mental health as we age.

In addition, understanding HRV can be valuable in monitoring our cognitive and emotional well-being as heart rate variability depicts the status of the nervous system, brain, and heart.

Even though using daily activities as neurobics can benefit healthy people, they might cause some side effects to people with underlying health issues as those activities create acute stress in the brain.

Therefore, please discuss with your qualified healthcare professionals before using neurobic activities if you have cognitive, neurological, or mental health issues.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.

I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on cellular, mitochondrial, metabolic, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.

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