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THANKS TO modern advance-
ments in brain imaging, scientists
now know we have the power to
shape our minds—literally.
London cab drivers, who spend
years memorizing city streets,
have expanded hippocampi, the
brain’s memory motor. Meanwhile,
violinists’ brains contain more
grey matter in the part connected
to the hand that manipulates the
strings than the one that simply
holds the bow.
And it isn't just people who've
mastered a skill who experience
such brain changes. According to
Harvard researchers, people who
practised 45 minutes of medita-
tion every day for two months
exhibited decreased grey matter
in their amygdala, the area related
to anxiety and stress. Even some-
thing as basic as getting regular
exercise shores up our brain’s
memory centre.
These kinds of changes can
happen at any age. In fact, the
minds of people who make brain-
healthy choices can function as if
they were 10 years younger—and
those habits can contribute sig-
nificantly to preventing dementia.
Now that we know our genes,
and our age, don’t have to deter-
mine the strength of our brain,
what can you do to boost yours?reader’s digest32 may 2020