Keeping our minds sharp as we age becomes increasingly essential, and mindfulness exercises after 50 will help you take steps to do just that.

In general, as you age, your body typically stops being as strong as it was in the past. You can do things to stave off that advancement of age, though. Now’s not the time to rest on your laurels (or sit around). Lifting weights, for example. Doing regular cardiovascular exercise is excellent, too.

There are many places that you can go to so that you can get your exercise in. If you are in Australia, you could go to a site like Southside Fitness to check a few exercise equipment you can use at home.

But there is another muscle that you need to work on … and it is your brain. When people age, they may lose cognitive ability. It is essential to do things to keep your mind sharp.

Here are some exercises that you can do for your own mind:

Mindfulness Exercises After 50: Meditating

This is an excellent exercise to do at any time of the day. You can do it as soon as you wake up or you can even do it before you go to bed. It is all about focusing inward and being present in the exact moment. You can do this to maintain a sense of calm and peace, too.

Mindfulness Exercises After 50: Looking At Nature

There is something about walking around and absorbing the sounds and sights of the world around you. Seeing birds flying around, squirrels climbing trees, hearing a nearby creek … all of those things can pull you into the moment and keep you mindful of what is going on around you.

Mindfulness Exercises After 50: Writing In A Journal

You might think of this as something that only lovesick teens do to complain about how their days are going. That is far from the truth. The site that you’re on right now began as nothing more than me journaling my thoughts.

Writing in a journal can help you remember things that happen over the course of the day. This is important, since short-term memory can be the first thing to go as you get older. Writing things down and dating them can help you hang onto those memories.

For more ideas on journaling you can read my post 7 Reasons to Start a Self-Esteem Journal & How to Do it Right.

Doing Things To Sharpen Your Mind After 50

There are a lot of different things you can do here to achieve that. You can do crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, or even jigsaw puzzles. This way, you can be focused on trying to solve these problems and keep your mind constantly working and not idle.

Going For Walks

This is something that you can do for both your body and your mind, especially if you do it as a social activity. When you are walking around with others, you can talk about things and also focus on things around you. You will likely find that your mind is sharper if you do this on a regular basis.

Looking for some new spots to haunt in your area? Try this website to find new trails and spots near you.

Step Away From Technology

Yes, this piece of advice may seem ironic, since you are likely reading it on your phone, tablet, or computer. Still, you will find that it can be very easy to slip into a pattern of just mindlessly scrolling through things on websites or social media. Then you will find that several hours have gone by. Take a break and see what is going on in the world around you and do things like talk to others … though you might have to ask them to put their phone down.

Read

You can read a lot of different things. You could look at inspirational affirmations, for example, and repeat them to yourself. You could also read books, whether they are fiction or nonfiction. There is a near-infinite amount of reading material out there—find a niche and read what you find. Reading helps your mindfulness because it allows you to visualize the things being written about.

Visualization keeps your mind sharp, as opposed to watching TV, where everything is being shown to you.

If you’re looking for some book recommendations, here are My Favorite Books of 2022.

Aromatherapy

Here is something that you can use to engage another sense—your sense of smell. You can sit and focus on whatever scent is wafting through the air. Here is another way for you to be present in the here and now and not in the past. Not only that, it can help you with any feelings of anxiety, depression or stress. You can benefit in so many ways from doing this.

Focusing On Enjoying Food

This is something that a lot of people could do … old or young. They tend to just shovel the food into their mouths without thinking. This can lead to overeating. Instead, eat slowly and think about what the food that you are chewing tastes like. This can help you monitor what you eat, too, since you will likely get the signal that your stomach is full much sooner. It will also help you converse with the people around you – though some might eat faster than you.

These are just a few of the things that you can do to keep yourself engaged with the world around you as you get older. Your mind will most likely be sharper than if you did nothing, and it can also help stave off the effects of things like Alzheimer’s. While it can be difficult, especially if you have a degenerative disease, these things can improve the quality of your life.

If you enjoyed this story, please subscribe to my email list. When I post a new story, you will receive it in your inbox. You might also enjoy my post: INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH: ATHLETIC WEAR AFTER 50

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Sources

https://www.happierhuman.com/mindfulness-activities-seniors/

https://www.aplaceformom.com/resources/mindfulness-activities