I was browsing around CNN and found an article from a couple months ago that caught my attention. Titled Keeping Your Brain Healthy, it gave several tips from the Alzheimer’s Association that really brightened my day.
Exercise Your BrainÂ
The first set of tips was geared around keeping your mind active by staying “curious and involved” and continuing to learn. We do that! Curious is one of the first words that pops into my head when I ask myself why I’m involved in family history, and Lord knows we have to continue to learn as we go through the process of researchng our family.
We have to learn geography, history (and not just the overviews from those school history books–we need to get in-depth!), paleography (study of old writing and inscriptions), how to use technology, math (If great-grandpa died Sept. 19, 1954 at age 80 years, 6 months, and 4 days, when was his birthday?), library science, preservation techniques, genetics, and so much more.
The article also mentioned reading and writing. Yep, we have to do that too.Â
“Attend lectures and plays, or take courses at local colleges or community centers.” Check! Conferences and local genealogy classes take care of this category too.
Be SocialÂ
The next section focused on being socially active. When we attend society meetings, conferences, or even communicate online via mailing lists, chats and other forums, we’re being socially active. Another tip was to travel, so now you can plan that dream research trip for health reasons.
Exercise
Getting exercise was also cited as a way to keep your brain healthy. Those strolls around a cemetery looking for that elusive headstone, or the dash to get to the library before it closes? Yes, they count too.
Diet
While the almonds, walnuts, and pecans cited in the article make a good snack on a research outing, I don’t think we’ll be seeing any halibut or mackeral in the vending machines at the Family History Library. We’ll just have to make sure to plan a nice healthy dinner with our genealogy buddies every so often.
To Sum Up…
So the next time someone gives you a hard time because “you’re always doing genealogy,” you just tell them you’re working out! 😉
Bravo! I read this same article a while back and I thought the same thing!
Thanks for the above article linked through Ancestry weekly newsletter. I’m a member of my local (Epping Forest) branch of the UK Alzheimer’s Society, and also an avid genealogist! I’ll be passing on the gist of the article to other branch members as ‘good practice’!
Best wishes – Liz J
I agree with the article completely!!!! I also think that being curious and active in your family background tends to keep you young, if not in body, at least in mind!
Recollection of ancient events with siblings is mental exercise I am glad to see recognized.
Close to my heart as my mother had Alzheimer’s, I also go to the gym 3 times aweek & I’m 60
I have the same problem, people ask me, “why do you do all this family history?” “these people are all dead, what good is it?” I want to find out where I came from, who my ancestors were, what they did, what kind of work, were any of them in the armed forces?” I could go on & on but why?
Thanks for the information.
Genealogy is a wonderful way to keep the mind active
We had FISH on a recent family history trip. While in TN meeting distant cousins, we visited our favorite chef, “Chappy” Chapman at his new restaurant in Nashville. Chappy lost everything in hurricane Katrina and has relocated to Nashville. so if you’re working out in Nashville, you can add that fish to your workout at CHAPPY’S ON CHURCH, downtown Nashville!
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