November is fall prevention month and there’s a very good reason why an entire month is dedicated to raising awareness about the risk of falling. One in three older adults aged 65+ falls each year and it's the leading cause of injury hospitalization in Manitoba.

Human beings are social creatures. It is often the relationships we have with each other that give life meaning and purpose. As John Donne famously wrote in 1624, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” Simply put, we need each other.

A study published in the journal Neurology found that people who read frequently throughout their lifetime experienced cognitive decline at a slower rate than those who didn’t. Furthermore, according to an article published in Psychology Today in April of 2018, “remaining an avid reader into old age reduced memory decline by more than 30 percent compared to engaging other forms of mental activity.” The article also purports that renowned billionaire Warren Buffet spends at least 80 percent of his day reading.

There is one persistent myth about sleep that just won’t take a snooze – the older you get, the less sleep you need. Sleep requirements actually remain quite consistent throughout your lifetime, with experts recommending around seven to nine hours a night, regardless of age. And while you may need the same amount well into your 60s and 70s, a quality, uninterrupted night’s sleep may be harder to come by.

In the last fifty years, advances in the field of medicine have helped our understanding of the prevention, diagnosis and management of physical disease. The result? People are living longer as the average life expectancy in Canada is now 82 years of age. In recent years, however, research has shown that mental health is an important component of overall health and well-being. In fact, a summary report by the World Health Organization (WHO) states unequivocally that, “There is no health without mental health.” Mental health is now on the forefront of many awareness campaigns and research projects for good reason. Mental health matters.

There's nothing like eating a fresh vegetable from your very own garden. Nurturing a tomato plant in a backyard garden and watching it grow to become food on the table can be very gratifying. Eating a crisp cucumber or a sweet bell pepper picked the same day not only delights your taste buds, it also nourishes your body like a store bought vegetable never could. If you’ve never planted a garden before, why not consider the many health benefits of growing your own food?

Stepping outside into the warmth of a summer day is one of my favorite moments of the year. After a long cold winter, those first few bursts of summer air seem to rejuvenate my weather worn soul. That mental health reboot is just one of the many benefits the great outdoors has to offer, and believe it or not, our ancestors have something to do with it.

Here’s a new twist on those old resolutions. Have you ever thought about getting your brain in shape? Keeping your brain active is equally as important as being physically active. And like any other part of your body, your brain needs to be worked out to stay healthy. So maybe it’s time to put the brain on a fitness program. Ready, set, learn!