Michigan neurosurgeon shares 5 habits to rebuild good brain health

To avoid early cognitive decline, find out what habits you need to add in your lifestyle to keep brain fit and agile.

Looking after your brain health is one of the essential things to start early in life, so issues like premature cognitive decline or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s don't catch you off guard. And the path towards good brain health begins with tweaking your everyday habits. The brain, as per Harvard Health, has neuroplastic properties, which means it constantly shapes and reshapes, rewires based on the experiences you put it through, and this means even the smallest choices you make daily matter for brain health.

In fact, you can utilise the brain's neuroplasticity to your advantage. Because its rewiring process is so malleable and responsive to lifestyle choices, the right habits can help keep your brain fit and sharp.

Addressing brain-healthy habits, Dr Jay Jagannathan is a neurosurgeon at the Michigan Neurosurgery Institute, specialising in multidisciplinary neurosurgery and pain management, with over a decade of experience, shared in a November 17 Instagram post about what he would do to rebuild brain health from zero.

Michigan neurosurgeon shared these 5 habits:

1. Sleep

Dr Jay explained brain health benefits from a discpline sleep routine. And by discipline, he emphasised maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. He elaborated, "Sleep schedule discipline is really critical to have at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night. It involves sleeping early if you have an early day in the morning.” Often the focus is on the number of hours, but you also need to mantainin the same bedtime and wakeup time.

2. Strength training

The neurosurgeon shed light on the role of strength training. He explained that strength training supports many physiological functions, from improving endurance to enhanced blood flow, which all boost brain performance for the better.

“Early strength training, particularly for long days when you are on your feet, being able to do low-grade resistance training for at least 2-3 days a week, is extremely critical,” Dr Jay described the importance of physical exercise to improve brain function.

Avoid these habits to keep your brain healthy. (Picture credit: Made with Chat GPT)

3. Meditation

Dr Jay revealed that the brain and body constantly communicate, and meditation or yoga help reinforce and strengthen this connection further. Meditation/yoga de-stresses the brain after a long day. It also calms down the nervous system. The neurosurgeon emphasised the ‘mind-body interface.'

4. Avoid burnout cycle

Dr Jay pointed out that burnout loops are a big precursor to poor brain health. If you regularly push yourself to the breaking point, you may find your thinking process slowing down. WebMD describes burnout as a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. Breaking out of burnout is vital to ensure your brain functions well. The fatigue from burnout does not spare your brain, keeping you from mental clarity.

5. Stop hero lifestyle

Neurosurgeon Dr Jay called out the regular hustle deeply embedded in daily lifestyles now. This nonstop pace means skipping rest. He warned against glorifying the habit of overexerting yourself even when you are exhausted, in the name of productivity. Real work is working smarter and giving your brain time to recharge so you can come back motivated.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.