By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
You’ve heard of training for your body—Pilates to tone your abs, weight-lifting to build upper body strength, or long-distance running to increase endurance. But what about training for your brain?
Studies have shown that certain brain exercises can actually improve memory and other cognitive abilities. That’s why about 20 residents at Monarch Landing have enrolled in the new on-site Brain Fitness Program created by Posit Science, a San Francisco-based company that develops programs designed to improve cognitive performance. Monarch Landing is one of the two Erickson communities selected as test sites for the eight-week Brain Fitness Program.
Train your brain
The computerized program guides participants through a series of audio exercises intended to improve the ability to comprehend, process, and retain information. For example, in one exercise participants are given a set of verbal instructions and then asked to recall the information to perform a series of tasks. The difficulty of the exercises continually increases based on each student’s performance to ensure a consistently challenging brain workout.
Stacy Zeng, a member of Monarch Landing’s wellness staff, coaches participating residents through the Posit Science program. She says it is challenging at times—much like committing to a fitness regime with a personal trainer.
“[Participants] might not like coming to class at first, but at the end they’ll see the results and will be happy they put the time into it,” Zeng says.