Aging Well: Spotlighting Intellectual Wellness 

A healthy brain is essential to your overall wellbeing and playing SUDOKU is just not good enough!

Join us at Mill Race Center every day during the second week in May to learn more about your BRAIN and how to keep your BRAIN healthy.

Participate in brain stimulating activities and brain fitness.

Try something NEW…it’s actually good for your BRAIN.

It’s FREE! It’s FUN!

LOOK WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED! 

Table Tennis (Ping Pong): referred to by neurologists as “the world’s best BRAIN sport!” It activates different parts of the brain simultaneously and stimulates overall awareness which sharpens alertness and decision making. The ultimate BRAIN fitness activity! Don’t know how to play? We’ll teach you. Come for the scientific knowledge….stay for the fun! (MP1)

Nourish Your BRAIN – Harriet Armstrong, MS, CFCE. Purdue Extension

“Have you ever gone into a room and forgotten what you went to retrieve? Don’t worry. That happens to most people at least sometimes. Have you fueled your brain lately? Just like your car, your BRAIN needs fuel to operate effectively. Consuming a well-balanced diet that includes foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial for the BRAIN and the rest of your body too.” You will learn which foods are beneficial, ways to help your memory and keep your BRAIN sharp, and how to exercise your body and BRAIN. (Classroom)

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK): Numerous scientific studies have shown that the act of kindness has a positive effect on the immune system and on the increased production of serotonin in the BRAIN. Serotonin is the naturally occurring neurochemical that has a calming, mood regulating, and anti-anxiety effect. Come & share your kindness & make your BRAIN happy! (Arts Rm)

Jeopardy…Mill Race Center Style: All participants will be contestants in this BRAIN stimulating game. Small teams will be formed that evening; teams will put their BRAINS together to be the first to respond correctly. (Hint: categories may include pop culture, 14 letter words, Rhyme Time, 21st Century History, Films of the 1950s, literature, science, music, …..and more). This is the REAL DEAL! Warm up your brains and study your encyclopedias! Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. (Arts Room)

Food for Thought…..Feed Your BRAIN! Carolyn Behrman from Natural Choices will share her knowledge about healthy ways to feed your BRAIN. (Arts Room)

BRAIN games on the computer. Improve your cognitive function by playing AARP recommended computer games that will stimulate your cognitive skills while you have fun. No computer knowledge necessary to participate. (Lab)

Learn to play Majhong……It will keep your BRAIN sharp! Instructor: Joann Wagner (MP2)

“Regardless of frequency of playing, mahjong produced consistent gains across all cognitive performance measures – digit forward memory, verbal memory, and MMSE. The effects lasted after mahjong had been withdrawn for a month, suggesting that constant practice is not necessary to achieve therapeutic effect once an initial threshold is attained”. – International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 

Brain Benders….Fitness for your BRAIN! 

Bring a friend….or two (smart ones) as we rise to the challenge of “mental gymnastics”. We will exercise our intellect with visual challenges, geometric puzzles, riddles, word puzzles, mind bogglers and more! Don’t be intimidated! Non-judgmental, friendly, non-competitive atmosphere. Mental challenges are GOOD for ALL of us! Fitness for your BRAIN is more fun with friends!! (Classroom)

Line Dancing is good for your BRAIN. (no prior dancing skills required…we will teach you)

Learning something new, especially something challenging (or a bit out of your comfort zone) can enhance BRAIN function. Regenerate your BRAIN, grow new BRAIN cell branches and forge new thought pathways by learning to Line Dance. BONUS: strong scientific evidence suggests that physical activity yields long-term benefits for the BRAIN as well. (MP2)

Juggling Increases BRAIN Power! Recent research has shown a correlation between juggling and changes in the BRAIN’S grey matter, the cell bodies responsible for computation and processing within the brain. Learning a complex new skill, like juggling is GOOD for your BRAIN! (MP3)

BRAIN Challenge Fitness Walk….. Exercise for your mind and body! 

Join us in this fun filled, cognitive and physical workout. A beautiful walk in the park with cognitive fitness stops along the way. Strong scientific evidence suggests that physical activity yields long-term benefits for the brain. Physical exercise is just as important, if not more important to brain health. Not too strenuous, fresh air, new friends and you will learn about BRAIN health along the way. (Meet in the Lounge)

Love your BRAIN…learn how to RELAX! (Especially good for folks with “busy brains” or “mind chatter”)

Learn how to relax our minds and bodies using guided relaxation techniques. Easy to learn and prac-tice on your own at home. (Lab)

Become a Boot Camp graduate? 

Join us for a Special Announcement that you won’t want to miss. It’s about the future of MRC! Have we discovered the Fountain of Youth? (Lobby/Lounge)