Aging is a difficult process that takes a toll on your physical and mental well-being. It can be painful to see your parents struggling to perform basic tasks that they once used to be able to do.
One of the many risks of aging is that it reduces your reaction time, which can be quite a nuisance when going about your regular business, such as driving or even walking.
There’s no need to worry just yet, however! We’ve compiled a list of three ways older people can improve their reflexes and reaction time healthily and naturally.
Let’s get right into it!
1). Be More Active
We know that exercise not only helps your body but your mind as well. Older people generally aren’t as active as they should be. Staying active and making an effort to move around can promote the growth and repair of neural networks in your central nervous system, which helps with your reflexes.
So walking more, doing a few simple exercises, finding excuses to stay moving and even stretching can help increase blood flow to your brain, which in turn delivers more glucose that is used by the brain for energy.
Studies show that exercise can improve the reaction time in elderly drivers, which is certainly welcome news for those who feel that their reflexes are not up to the mark to keep driving regularly.
2). Moderate Amounts of Caffeine
Consuming caffeinated products, as long as you’re not overdoing it, can be very beneficial for your reaction time. Why is that? Because caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline in your body. Higher levels of adrenaline increase your pupil dilation, increase your general awareness.
It has been empirically proven that caffeine betters our reaction time for both athletic and non-athletic activities. For the elderly, slow reaction times can be very hazardous, causing them to fall or trip more often, risking injury or accidents, so caffeine can be a very useful thing for their levels of awareness if consumed appropriately.
3). Proper Sleep Cycles
Adhering to proper sleep cycles in the later stages of life is a crucial component of ensuring that your reaction time and decision-making skills stay in tip-top shape.
Sleep gives the brain time to store all the information that it processes throughout the day into your permanent memory. It makes sense that if the brain gets proper time to process and store information as you sleep, you become better at understanding and responding faster to certain stimuli.
A recent study found that well-rested people have much better reaction times and awareness as compared to those who aren’t well-rested.
Final Thoughts
We understand that deteriorating reaction time can be a worrisome experience for the elderly. Many elderly people fall and trip more often as their reaction time slows down, they get into driving accidents more often, and some even struggle with coordinated movement.
Regardless of the way the natural cycle of life works, if you implement these tips into your lifestyle, you’ll find that your reaction time is a lot better for it. We wish you the best!
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