The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

February 28, 2008

Mental aerobics presentation at The Fountains

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Everyone knows that we are supposed to keep our bodies physically fit. What about our minds?

Brain fitness is a wide-ranging approach that includes a specific type of activity – mental aerobics – for improving memory recall along with strategies for stimulating growth and change in our brains at all ages and stages.

“Brain Fitness for All Ages and Stages” is the topic of a free presentation Friday by Martha Grove Hipskind at The Fountains of  The Albemarle on Trade Street. It begins at 2 p.m., and those who plan to attend are asked to phone Shannon Tippette at 823-2799 to reserve a seat.

Hipskind is a gerontologist, an eldercare consultant. She will give an overview of memory change and a fast-paced, high energy workout “to help jog your brain and build new brain power.”

“Martha Grove Hipskind’s Mental Aerobics workshops are invigorating,” said Heather Proctor, director the five-county Area Agency on Aging. “She keeps the audience engaged and puts a humorous spin on important material for baby boomers and older adults. 

“In the past, the presentations she offered for us drew over 100 people and were well received by all attendees. The technique she shares can be of benefit to all.”

Average life expectancy is now approaching 80 years; boomers are turning 60 at the rate of 10,000 per day; and demographers predict that centenarians in the United States will exceed 800,000 by 2050.

Concurrent trends show that persons with Alzheimer’s disease will increase from 4 to 14 million in the same time period.

“We know that age is the single greatest risk factor for dementia,” Hipskind says. “However, we are also beginning to understand that dementia is not an inevitable consequence of aging.

 Everyone who works with older adults and their families must understand more about memory function, how it may change with age, how to improve memory recall, and how to build more brain power at any age or stage.” 

It’s true. The older we get, the more we forget. But the problem is not so much memory loss as it is recall, or retrieval. The older mind has a lifetime of memories and experiences stored in it, and is also experiencing a natural slowing down in the retrieval process. The end result is those frustrating episodes of not being able to remember words, phrases and events. Understanding more about Age Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI) leads to exciting new strategies for improving both speed and quality of recall by doing mental exercises.

“Mental Aerobics is based on the knowledge that we can exercise our brain like a physical muscle, that by engaging in mental exercises that jog the brain to retrieve stored information, we can improve memory recall and reduce the effects of AAMI,” Hipskind says.

We are by nature creatures of habit. Our daily routine is relatively fixed and that makes us comfortable. Dr. Lawrence Katz, a Duke neurologist and author of “Keep Your Brain Alive,” will tell you that we must shake up our deadly dull daily routines by changing sensory pathways to the brain as we go about our normal activities.

 Brush your teeth with the opposite hand; take a shower with your eyes closed; drive to work a different way every day. Anything new and different in our lives builds brain power.

Cognitive impairment does not suddenly appear at age 85 – although by that age nearly 50 percent have dementia. Lifestyle choices you make today for both physical and mental fitness have the potential to reduce your chances of developing dementia symptoms.  “Brain Fitness is for older adults,” Hipskind says. “Those who care for them and those who plan to grow old.”

A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Light refreshments will be served.

Text Only
Local News
  • (USE FRONT) One To Go.jpg Tractor pull again a success

    PINETOPS – The 36th annual Pinetops 300 Tractor and Truck Pull was just as big as the previous events on Friday and Saturday night. There was standing room only both nights. Everyone got their monies worth on Saturday night during the last event.

    May 21, 2012 3 Photos

  • gas prices.JPG Gas prices break $3.50 barrier locally

    Gasoline prices have dropped below $3.50 per gallon for the first time since 2011.
    After hitting $3.479 on Friday, prices fell another two cents per gallon Saturday at Wilco/Hess at Main and Granville in downtown and at Murphy Gas on US 258 South. By Sunday, that price had spread to at least four other outlets in town.

    May 21, 2012 1 Photo

  • Garden 1.jpg Edgecombe Garden Club presents annual awards and installs 2012-2014 officers

    At its May meeting, the Edgecombe Garden Club was presented with several awards won at the state convention in Asheville. District 12 Director Brenda Crocker made the presentations.

    May 21, 2012 3 Photos

  • May is Mental Health Month: Do More For 1 in 4

    Vidant Behavioral Health Center, a department of Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, is calling on the community to acknowledge May as Mental Health Month. The commemorative month was created more than 50 years ago by Mental Health America (MHA), a national mental health advocacy organization.

    May 18, 2012

  • Parks and Rec offers wide variety of summer activities

    Summer is a time for excitement and a time to enjoy the warm weather through various activities.
    And for the opportunity to explore your artistic, athletic or even adventurous side, the Tarboro Parks and Recreation Department welcomes children, adults and seniors to participate in a variety of summer activities, including athletic camps, water aerobics, dance classes, arts and crafts and a number of team-oriented programs.

    May 18, 2012

  • Here is a list of recreational facilities in and around Tarboro:

    Community Swimming Pool
    Poplar Street
    A swimming pool complex open to all Tarboro residents is located in the geographic center of town on Poplar Street, complete with a diving well, children's pool, competitive swimming pool, bathhouse, and patio/concession area.
    Tennis Courts

    May 18, 2012

  • keith hale .jpg Unsolved murders eat at law enforcement, too

    It's been 25 years since Roy John Rieck was found, brutally murdered, at Tarboro's Pizza Hut. Rieck, 47, was apparently closing the establishment for the night when he was stabbed at least 20 times. He was found lying in a puddle of blood at 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 31, 1987.

    May 17, 2012 3 Photos

  • AIB group Submits application

    With its 28-page community profile officially submitted, Tarboro’s America In Bloom (AIB) committee is now focused on igniting a spring cleaning buzz throughout town for the coming of the organization’s judges in June.

    May 17, 2012

  • DSCN3696.JPG Anew creation working to improve lives of youth

    Kendrick Pittman, 33, realizes everyone endures obstacles in life and is ultimately responsible for the choices he or she makes. His choice was to work to positively impact the lives of the youth in the community. 

    May 17, 2012 1 Photo

  • Muhammad satisfied with term on council

    Melvin Muhammad said he did what he intended to do during one term on the Tarboro Town Council by stirring up a little controversy. Now, after not seeking reelection,  he's ready to ride off in the sunset.

    May 16, 2012