Brain health is not just about memory. Brain health spans attention, mood, decision‑making, creativity, and resilience across your lifespan. The good news is that meaningful improvements come from small, consistent habits. Keep reading for a practical roadmap you can start using today to improve your brain health over your lifespan.


1. Prioritize & Protect Sleep – Sleep consolidates your memories, clears metabolic waste from your brain via the glymphatic system, and calibrates mood and attention. Aim for 7–9 hours nightly, and keep a consistent wake time, even on weekends. Treat your bedroom like a cave: cool, dark, and quiet. Use blackout shades, an eye mask, earplugs, or white noise if needed. Have a winddown ritual (30–60 minutes): dim the lights, do light stretching, read paper pages, or write in a gratitude journal. Avoid screens and set devices to night mode. Refrain from caffeine 6–8 hours before bed. Avoid alcohol near bedtime as it causes fragmented sleep.

2. Moving Your Body to Boost Your Brain – Physical activity boosts blood flow, brain developing neurotrophic factors (BDNF), insulin sensitivity, and sleep which are all linked to sharper cognition and lower dementia risk.
a. Aerobics: Work towards 150 minutes (about 5 hours)/week of brisk walking, cycling, or swimming at a moderate intensity, you can maintain.
b. Strength: 2-3 sessions/week covering major muscle groups to build metabolic health and balance.
c. Balance & Mobility: 10–15 minutes/day of yoga, tai chi, or single‑leg stands. Take the stairs, walk during calls, and stretch between meetings.


3. Eat for Longterm Brain Vitality -Emphasize Mediterranean style eating focusing on vegetables, dark leafy greens, berries, legumes, nuts, EVOO, gluten free whole grains, and fish. Limit ultra‑processed foods, fast foods, sugary drinks, and excess saturated fats. Keep sodium moderate; focus on herbs and spices for flavor. Drink half of your body weight or more in ounces of water daily. Take a high-quality omega‑3 supplement daily (4000 mg EPA/DHA) and eat fatty fish 2x/week. Enjoy berries, cocoa (80-90% dark chocolate), and green tea which are all rich in polyphenols. Eat fermented foods like plain yogurt/kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut to support the gut‑brain axis.

4. Train Your Cognition: Your brain should be trained like a muscle. Strive to learn new things: a language, a musical instrument, computer skills, or anything that is novel and requires effort. Do puzzles, strategy games, or logic problems. Stretch your working memory by summarizing something you have read or listened to or mentally rehearse names with associations.

5. Manage Stress & Emotions: Chronic stress hormones (Cortisol) impair attention, sleep, and memory (hippocampal function). Daily practices of deep breathing, getting outdoors, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, or just sitting quietly have a significant impact on reducing stress and negative emotions (worry, fear, guilt, and illusions).

6. Stay Socially Connected: Social engagement stimulates cognition, supports emotional regulation, and reduces dementia risk. Make it easy by combining movement and connection-a walking club, a dance class, or a health club workout. Schedule standing calls with friends and family. Volunteer or join interest groups. Having a purpose is a powerful cognitive enhancer.

Brain health is built over time through adequate quality sleep, daily movement, quality nourishment, learning, connection, and stress recovery. Start small, be consistent, and personalize the plan for your life. Consistent small daily practices will give you big results, and over time your clarity, mood, memory, and resilience will improve. Remember, it is never too late to make a Shift in Health.

Dr. Wendy Henrichs of Timber Land Chiropractic provides comprehensive chiropractic and wellness lifestyle care. Dr. Wendy Henrichs is a Board-Certified Chiropractic Pediatrician and Nutrition Counselor. Timber Land Chiropractic is at 1 E. Courtney Street in Rhinelander. For more information, call 715-362- 4852 or visit www.timberlandchiropractic.com Instagram @drwendyhenrichs, LinkedIn, and Facebook