6 ways to improve your ENRICH® Score
Take the following steps to improve your ENRICH® Score and improve your brain health.
Step 1
Engage in physical exercise five or more days per week for at least 30 minutes per workout. Exercise that can at least modestly increase your heart rate has been shown to be helpful.
Add new physical activities when you can.
Talking to your doctor about how intensely you can exercise is strongly suggested.
Exercises to Try:
Walking
Running
Biking
Swimming
Fitness Class
Step 2
Don’t smoke.
If you’re currently smoking, talk to your doctor about cessation programs or medications. Kicking the smoking habit is difficult, but the rewards of doing so are great.
Keep trying, it’s worth the effort.
Step 3
Engaging in cognitively stimulating exercises on at least 5 days a week. A minimum of 15 minutes each day is a good goal. There are numerous available “brain games” and brain training programs, but few are supported by research showing that they are helpful. We support 2 specific programs -
These exercises are appropriately challenging; novel; and have scientific evidence that they, indeed, may improve memory and cognitive functioning.
Step 4
Maintaining a positive mood in general, and treating depression if it occurs is an important healthy habit.
Treatment for depression may consist of:
Step 5
Controlling hypertension has been shown to lower risk of dementia.
If you are 50 years old, and have not had your blood pressure checked recently, you might want to consult your healthcare provider to get a current reading.
Similarly, keeping your heart rate within normal levels may also reduce your risk.
Step 6
Maintaining your weight at healthy levels is important.
Healthcare experts typically recommend a Body Mass Index (BMI) target score in the 18.5 - 24.9 range.
Of course, exercise and diet can help reduce weight.
Note: The risk of dementia appears to be substantially higher for individuals who have a family member (mother, father, or sibling) with a diagnosis of dementia before the age of 85. In these circumstances, it is particularly important that you routinely practice the ENRICH® healthy habits.
Consider sharing your ENRICH® score with your doctor. You can return to the ENRICH® Calulator as often as you like to track your progress.
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