A couple weeks ago, our blog post talked about the importance of letting your brain get a good night’s sleep. Today, we are going to talk about why you also need to get in cognitive engagement, which is essentially mental exercise! The possibilities for mentally stimulating activities really are endless- puzzles, writing, making art of any kind, listening to music, and crossword puzzles are just a few [5,6]. One of the biggest exercises you can do for your brain is… you guessed it: read!
Reading is shown to reduce the progression of memory decline, before and during the development of Alzheimer’s [6]. The key to mental exercise is making sure your brain is forced to engage beyond everyday activities [5]. Just like the muscles in your arms or legs, your brain has to be stimulated in a challenging way in order to build up brain cells and form new connections [5,6]. One study found that individuals who read more than once a week, reported better cognitive function after 6 years [2]. The scientists were curious if these benefits would continue so they followed up with the participants and found that they had better cognitive performance after a 10-year follow-up and a 14-year follow-up compared to those who claimed they didn’t read more than once a week [2]. Another study found that the more cognitive engagement adults participated in, the better they performed on a memory test [1]. The reality is that reading today can benefit your brain for much longer than you think!
Your brain is capable of building up a cognitive reserve, which is the level of disease or damage that a brain can handle while working successfully [3]. Think of this like a shield against dementia. Some of your ability to build up a cognitive reserve is genetic, but a lot of it comes from the environment you are raised in and what efforts you make to invest in your lifelong health [3]. Having a higher cognitive reserve helps lower the risk of cognitive decline both presently and in the future [7].
So, how are you going to start building up your cognitive reserve? What about your kids or grandkids? Your close friends or family members? The Emporia Public Library has lots of resources available to help you get started! Start by checking out the summer reading program, which works to motivate readers of all ages by offering raffle tickets in exchange for minutes of reading.
Emporia Public Library Reading Challenge
May 31 – July 31
OPEN TO ALL AGES!!!
How to Register:
Click this link to visit the Beanstack website: https://www.beanstack.com
---This website functions on your computer or as a mobile app if you have a smartphone. It is how you can track your reading progress and enter your minutes to qualify for tickets! You can even add several adults or children to the same group for a little friendly competition.---
Next, click on Find a Site
Search for Emporia Public Library
Select Emporia Public Library
Create a Beanstack account! This website does not collect any sensitive information, just your name, an email address, phone number, and zip code (Emporia’s zip code is 66801)!
Once you have an account, start logging those minutes! I personally use the app for Beanstack because it has lots of cool features, like a timer I can start, stop, or pause while I read! It also gives an option to track how many pages you read in one session, so you know how many pages you read on average.
For every 60 minutes you log, you get one virtual ticket to enter into drawings for fun prizes offered by the library! Check out some of the prizes here:
Don’t feel like the reading challenge is the right fit for you? Do you feel like your kids are too young to sit through a large amount of reading? The library has tons of other options too!
Storytimes
Pat-a-Cake Storytime: designed for birth to 18-month-olds
Mondays and Thursdays at 9:15 a.m.
Mother Goose Storytime: designed for 18- to 36-month-olds
Mondays and Thursdays at 9:45 a.m.
Preschool Storytime: designed for 3- to 5-year-olds
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Click here for more information on story times: https://www.emporialibrary.org/youth-storytime
Grab and Go Activity Bags
The library has fun, child friendly activities planned throughout June already! The crafts are geared for kids from 3 to 8 years old and can be picked up at the circulation desk anytime the library is open- all you have to do is ask! The front desk is so friendly and loves to help.
Check out this week's craft:
To see the fun crafts planned, click here: https://www.emporialibrary.org/youthgrabandgo
Storywalk
This is the perfect opportunity to get in some physical activity with your mental exercise! The library has placed fish in store windows on Commercial Street between 6th and 12th Avenue. By following the fish throughout town (with the guidance reading of a specific book), your child can complete the Storywalk!
For a list and map of participating businesses, as well as the starting point, click here: https://www.emporialibrary.org/storywalk
Upcoming Events
Let’s say none of these ideas sparked your imagination, or maybe you have a middle schooler who believes they are too cool for the Storywalk. There are more choices! The library is always offering different events, like the Percy Jackson book club for Grades 3-6 this summer, the Drum Safari concert on June 22 at 12pm, or the Worm Races on June 24 at 10am to see who has the fastest worm in Emporia!
For all the awesome upcoming events, click here: https://www.emporialibrary.org/storywalk
Don’t let these fun, engaging activities slip by this summer. Take advantage of the Emporia Public Library! My roommate and I just went to get library cards and it was so easy. The process took 5 minutes and required a photo ID and now we have access to hundreds of books but also tons of brain boosting resources. Not an Emporia resident? See what your local library has to offer! All it takes is one Google search!
If you want to explore on your own, here is the library’s full website: https://www.emporialibrary.org
Notice: This author is not sponsored by or affiliated with the Emporia Public Library.
Sources
[1]. Bransby L, Buckley R, Rosenich E, Franks K, Yassi N, Maruff P, Pase MP, Lim YY. The relationship between cognitive engagement and better memory in midlife. Diagnosis, Assessment, and Disease Monitoring. February 9, 2022;14(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12278
[2]. Chang Y-H, Wu I-C, Hsiung CA. Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older people: evidence from a 14-year longitudinal study. International Psychogeriatrics. 2021;33(1):63-74. doi:10.1017/S1041610220000812
[3]. Ellison, JM. Healthy aging: Cognitive reserve and how to strengthen it. BrightFocus Foundation. Published August 25, 2021. https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/healthy-aging-cognitive-reserve-and-how-strengthen-it. Accessed June 7, 2022.
[4]. Emporia Public Library. Published 2021. https://www.emporialibrary.org. Accessed June 6, 2022.
[5]. Khalsa DS, Perry G. The four pillars of alzheimer's prevention. Cerebrum. 2017;2017:cer-03-17. Published 2017 Mar 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5501038/
[6]. Keep reading to keep alzheimer’s at bay. Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/reading-alzheimers-bay/. Published April 7, 2014. Accessed June 6, 2022.
[7]. Szepietowska EM, Kuzaka A. Higher level of cognitive reserve reduces the risk of cognitive difficulties in healthy adults. Psihologijske teme / Psychological Topics. 2020;29(2):229-248. doi:10.31820/pt.29.2.2