SLEEP SCIENCE AND ACTIVITY

• “Practice does not make perfect. It is practice, followed by a night of sleep, that leads to perfection.” Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep
• “There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” Homer, The Odyssey
• “Sleep is the best meditation.”  Dalai Lama

Sleep is almost 1/3 of our lifespan! Sure, let's make a simple calculation: If you are 60 years old then you spent close to 20 years sleeping😌! If your grandparent died (peacefully) in the age of 99 years old, then he slept almost 33years!!!

Since sleep is a major part of our lives and health and longevity, there is significant research and science that has been done the last decades to understand it better, address serious disorders and optimize and improve quality for all the people. There are institutes and researchers that focus on the science of sleep such as NHLBI/NIH. For example, during the pandemic/COVID, NIH researchers published results and data on how a good night sleep helps to boost the immune system and how to optimize sleep and habits daily.

There is also plenty of information on how physical activity can improve the length, regularity and quality of sleep. However, you need the right time/intensity, and right activity for the right age group. For example, moderate and regular exercise can affect positively the quality and duration of sleep. On the other hand, acute and vigorous exercise can become a negative factor on sleep for adolescents and adults. Older adults usually experience more problems with sleep quality but there are senior people who manage to balance exercise, sleep and autonomic nervous activity and enjoy good life. There are other studies that shows the effects of the work(high or low physical effort)  can affect the sleep negatively or positively. The best way to know what works for you and your family is not only to read the literature and research but try different types of activities and monitor the effects on your sleep.

The last couple decades the wearable technologies grew exponentially and gave people several options to measure sleep, heart rate, oxygen consumption and other vital signs. The sleep trackers specifically can monitor sleep duration, quality, phases and even your diet that may affect your sleep or how to optimize alarms and light and sounds. The sleep technology and science provide now a lot of option for each individual to monitor their data, customize according to needs and age and win! Yes, sleep is an indicator of your health and wellbeing  and it can be your competition to a 'virtual' race. Imagine you are competing with your age group, gender, profession in your country(or globally) and your goal is to record a good quality sleep. In order to succeed, you need again (like a marathoner in a long distance), to focus on, practice and love sleep.

References

1. Interrelationship between Sleep and Exercise: A Systematic Review(2017)
2. Balance of Autonomic Nervous Activity, Exercise, and Sleep Status in Older Adults: A Review of the Literature
3. Effects of physical activity at work and life-style on sleep in workers from an Amazonian Extractivist Reserve

CHI(QI)-GONG & TAI-CHI FOR BRAIN

• “If you correct your mind the rest of your life will fall in place.” — Lao Zhu
• “Understanding jing (essence), chi (internal energy) and shen (spirit) is one of the most important requirements... " Jwing-Ming Yang, 'The Root of Chinese Qigong'
• "Qigong is exercise. It is exercise for the entire body, the breath, and the mind." Franklin Fick

Chi (or Qi) is the energy (or Force) of the Universe as it was believed in Chinese ancient times.

In the human (or other living) body also Chi is the energy state or flow.

Chi is energy and force arising from the interplay between yin and yang, negative and positive, passive and active, shape and function, ...

Gong is the training and study of Chi, and that's the composite Chi-Gong.

Tai-Chi is one of these methods to practice and circulate and master Chi.

Chi-Gong and Tai-Chi have been used for hundreds of years to optimize the energy of the human body, and brain and improve the well-being of practitioners in all age groups.

Especially the last decades, Tai-Chi has been adopted by senior, (or middle-aged) people as a healthy exercise to train movement, memory and cognitive functions.

In a recent study (2020, Tai Chi Training Evokes Significant Changes in Brain White Matter Network in Older Women) , the Tai-Chi training was proven to optimize the brain structure and to promote efficient brain function network, for senior women which is important for future prevention and treatment in this population.

Similarly in and older study (2012, Changes in brain volume and cognition in a randomized trial of exercise and social interaction in a community-based sample of non-demented Chinese elders), the researchers found that found Tai-Chi increases brain volume in seniors who practiced it, and promotes improvements in cognition as well.

Finally there is a full review on  examining psychological and physiological benefits of Qi-Qong and Tai-Chi  (2010, A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi). 77 articles were reviewed and met the inclusion criteria for Qi-Qong and Tai-Chi. The review  identified many health and wellness benefits for for Qi-Gong and Tai-Chi:  bone health, cardiopulmonary fitness and related biomarkers, physical function, falls prevention and balance, general quality of life and patient reported outcomes, immunity, and psychological factors such as anxiety, depression and self-efficacy.

There is plenty of literature and growing interest in research related to brain and Tai-Chi.

Motivate yourself to adopt Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong practices in your daily routine! It will definitely benefit all ages and genders.👍

---

Qigong is a way of being.
Being soft, yet strong.
Qigong is a way of breathing.
Breathing deeply, yet calmly.
Qigong is a way of standing.
Alert, yet relaxed.
~Nigel Mills, Qigong for Multiple Sclerosis: Finding Your Feet Again, 2010

 

DANCE WITH BODY, BRAIN AND SOUL

• “Dancing is silent poetry.” — Simonides
• “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene

Dancing can be an excellent form of exercise and workout, with style, rhythm and joy!

You can dance alone, with a partner or with a group.

As an exercise helps you to engage and coordinate body, mind and soul. Dancing your favorite music and rhythm, is also a joyful action that  becomes a celebration and brings unforgettable moments and experience.

A unique feature of dancing is the movement structure and patterns that follow the music and the beats. This can benefit the brain and enhance the memory to remember the choreography and create skills to coordinate the body following the rhythms. 

In general, dancing has a broad range of benefits for all ages, in regards to physical and mental fitness, social skills, self-esteem and health of heart, bones and brain.

This research article on "Why Do You Dance? Development of the Dance Motivation Inventory (DMI)" (2015 PLOS one) was based on a study to explore the motivation of  social dancing and to develop a new method to assess its motivation. The authors identified 8 motivational factors towards a new Dance Motivation Inventory: 1.Fitness, 2.Mood Enhancement, 3.Intimacy, 4.Socialising, 5.Trance, 6.Mastery, 7.Self-confidence and 8.Escapism. The data shows that the Mood Enhancement was the strongest motivational factor for dance activity (similar to exercise) since it can improve  mood and reduce stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. A similar study in 2018(Dance your stress away: comparing the effect of dance/movement training to aerobic exercise training on the cortisol awakening response in healthy older adults), measuring the cortisol levels, concludes that  dance/movement training (DMT) reduces the chronic stress better than other types of exercise.

The list of dances around the world is endless (some popular categories are highlighted), and this is another reason to support that dance is an important factor in lifestyle and culture of every country. 

However, more than a research and exercise style, don't forget that dance is fun. Enjoy!

EXERCISE YOUR EYES, SEE BETTER!

What is one of the most important organ in our body and brain? Our Eyes!

Do you know that the external muscles of our eyes are the strongest in our body and brain?

These muscles are also the fastest muscles in the human body and contract in less than 1/100th of a second sand blinking in milliseconds!

There are six skeletal muscles surrounding the eyes and control their movements and although are small comparatively, they are strong, fast and precise and  perform many complex tasks.

Maintaining the health and performance of our eyes is a combination of good sleep, hygiene, diet and exercises. Here are some recommendations to workout your eyes regularly:

• Focus change and Near and far focus 
• Blink break and Roll your eyes 
• Follow a complete portfolio of Bayes method (sunning, swings, sways, palming...)
• Reeducation of vision and and avoid bad habits
• Try some vision training apps and others available for Android - iOS

No matter what, keep a good diet for healthy eyes and protect them from chronic inflammation.

It's a great preventive practice to have an ophthalmic exam and visit the eye doctor in annual base depending on the age and any issues.

For your EYES only, treat them well and enjoy life!

DIET AND FOODS TO BOOST OUR BRAIN

What is a good diet to improve our brain functions and shield from diseases in the longer term?

It is recommended scientifically that some foods can improve memory and maintain better brain health.

In a recent study (2021) the scientists evaluated over 2500 participants who followed a Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, designed for the maintenance of neurocognitive health. The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet(Med-Diet) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH diet was a result of research (NIH/NHLBI) to create a heart-healthy eating style for life. Scientists in the NHLBI conducted studies and showed that blood pressures were reduced with a diet that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat and that focuses on fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. It is common sense and science-based that cardiac function is associated with the maintenance of cerebrovascular brain health.

 The Med-Diet is recommended for its cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits and its association with healthy aging and reduced risk of  cancer,  diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and cognition disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. It is a nutritional model inspired by Mediterranean countries and characterized by  consumption of olive oil, fruits, vegetables,  cereals, nuts and seeds);  regular/moderate intake of wine; moderate consumption of fish, seafood, yogurt, cheese, poultry and eggs; and low consumption of red meat, processed meat products and seeds. Research studies(Spain, over 7500 subjects, 2014) concluded  that among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet  with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular problems.

Other systematic reviews (11 studies/databases, 2012)  suggests this healthful eating pattern also protects brain health, and specifically, that a greater adherence to the Med-Diet is correlated with a slower rate of cognitive decline such as risk of developing Alzheimer disease.

There are plenty of resources for specific foods to boost brain function and the best brain foods(Harvard nutritionist) to get more recommendations and ideas for your daily eating well! Other brain foods have also been researched for specific nutrients that can affect the brain function in conjunction with metabolism and synaptic plasticity.

It is so imperative to be proactive and follow diets and choose foods in daily routine that can help us to maintain a healthy brain for lifetime!

HOW BRAIN BENEFITS FROM OUTDOORS & NATURE

We feel great after a walk in the nature. Just take 30 minutes in the morning or after work or after dinner and spend time in a lake or a creek or the beach...Do you feel the healing power of the nature in your brain and body? The majority of the people will say YESSS! We just need to make time for it.

In  fact there is plenty of research and literature that supports strongly that the interactions and quality time with nature, can affect brain performance, cognitive functions, sleep and mental health. 

In this article(2021) and review from Public Health field about " Associations between Nature Exposure and Health", the authors did extensive studies of current literature on this topic. They build on the 'biophilia hypothesis' and the Attention Restoration  and Stress Reduction theories that humans have evolved and have affinity in nature and spending time with nature can really benefit focus, attention, and reduce stress and anxiety. 

In addition the 'green' exposure can help us to sleep better and deeper. Another research review(2020) on "Greenspace exposure and sleep" also supports with good data the benefit of nature(green) for sleep quality and quantity. The recommendations are simply: more outdoor green exercise and gardening to improve your sleep!

APA is also a strong advocate of nature nurturing for mental health and cognition. More specifically on this article, the author cites the cognitive benefits of green space for adults and students at school from the research of Berman/Schertz (2019): Understanding Nature and Its Cognitive Benefits.

Plenty of other mental health organizations and institutes around the world provide resources and ideas to try and benefit your brain and mental well-being. For example

• Mental Health benefits of Nature (NAMICA)
• Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health (CDC)
• What nature ideas could I try? (Mind.Org.UK)

So, let's don't wait! Make time and plan and get to a daily habit with nature to benefit your brain an well-being.

SLEEP AND BRAIN

Our sleep is 1/3 of our our lives and the quality of sleep is one of the most valuable assets for our wellness as human beings.

Several factors can affect our sleep especially in our modern busy lives:

• Diet
• Time
• Environment
• Media
• Sex
• Health
• Stress
• Fitness
• Exercise
• ...ETC.

In fact several of these factors depend on the fitness of our mental functions and our brain.

For example having a healthy functional brain can help us ultimately to relax better and avoid an anxious mind. Take care your brain and you will enhance the relaxation and sleep stages.

In general exercising your body and brain regularly can improve your sleep and relaxation during the day. In addition music and other relaxation techniques for your brain have been proven to reduce sleep issues in adults.

On the other hand, there are 4 sleep stages that most people experience regularly with different times and percentages depending in age, gender, health and other factors.

There are decades of sleep research with strong evidence that during these stages our brain can benefit

• to control anxiety and stress

• to ease the pain and inflammation

• to solve problems and unleash creativity

• to organize information and improve memory

• to repair structure and functions and clean toxins

There are several foods to avoid and others that you can eat that affect the sleep. Diet is almost like an exercise of your brain and challenging yourself to get to better habits on the quantity, quality and timing of eating before relaxing. Different types of tea for example (like passion flower) have been studied as a source of antioxidants(flavonoids, apigenin) that improve sleep and relaxation.

Finally different types of exercises that coordinate body and mind and involve meditation like yoga (or taichi or reiki…), will benefit your brain in multiple ways and help you relax and sleep better at night.

Take care your sleep and brain and it will have tremendous positive effects in your well-being!

BRAIN EXERCISES FOR YOUR MENTAL FITNESS

Our Brain is an amazing complex organ that plays an important role in many functions of the human body and well-being.

What is the brain composition?

It’s mostly fat! Around 60% fat and the rest is a combination of water, protein, carbs and salts.

There is no muscles in brain area but mostly cells, blood vessels and nerves.

However, the brain communicates and controls different human organs and systems, which makes it an organ that we always need to improve and sharpen!

Keeping our brains in a great shape will help us maintain mental fitness: think, decide, behave, feel, relax and create.

Here are some exercises recommended for your brain and mental fitness:

• Meditate regularly, daily or more!

  Try different meditation styles that work for you. Teach yourself how to relax your brain, breath slow, visualize and enjoy the moment. Mostly you need a peaceful environment with low lights and maybe soundscapes or relaxing music. Try at least 15 minutes to meditate and disengage from work or other activities. You will see the benefits of meditation the fist week or days!

• Dance with or without a partner!

  Dancing is a great way to focus on music, rhythm and movement and challenge your brain. Dance can improve your mood and bring joy to your live and even find good friends or a partner for life! There are studies that dance can minimize stress, increase confidence and self-esteem and promote positive attitudes.

• Play board games like chess!

  Chess is a fascinating game played for centuries and has been popular all over the world and among all ages. Chess has been recommended as a way yo stimulate brain growth, improve memory and concentration, prevent Alzheimer’s and promote creativity. There are famous neuroscientists (Torkel Klingberg) who researched(Einstein study) and concluded that chess optimizes your IQ test and maintains your mental fitness.

• Practice Tai-Chi and Yoga and/or other favorite physical exercises!

  Tai-Chi practice(motion, meditation, coordination and breathing) for example has been linked to enhance mind-body coordination, improve focus and enhance your brain functions. Yoga also can have positive effects to your brain wellness: enhance function and structure of brain regions and protect brain from decline.

• Sleep better and deeper!!!

  Sleep is one of the most important ‘exercises’ and ways to protect your brain and mental fitness. Sleep has been connected to clear and repair the brain. Studies have been shown sleep to help restoring the brain and clearing the bad toxins accumulated during the day. Having better quality of sleep, regularity and waking patterns can protect the brain form decline, memory issues and neurodegenerative diseases.