Going for walk at lunch, practicing deep breathing and good posture during commuting can engage the brain
It’s Brain Awareness Week in Canada, and employers are being encouraged to get the word out to employees about the importance of brain health.
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Conference Board of Canada have produced a 48-page booklet that discusses brain health in the workplace. Among the suggestions are ways to keep physically fit at work, which helps engage the brain, including:
•using work breaks or lunch times to go for a walk
•if you work at home, walk around the block
•skip the elevator and take the stairs
•use commuting time to practice deep breathing and good posture.
Brain Awareness Week, which this year runs March 12 to 18, is held every March. It unites the efforts of partner organizations around the world in celebration of the brain for people of all ages, according to the Dana Foundation, a New York-based private philanthropic organization.
About 10 million (one in three) Canadians of all ages will be affected by a disease, disorder or injury of the brain or nervous system at some point in their life, according to Brain Canada, a national non-profit organization that develops and supports collaborative, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research across the neurosciences.
About 50 per cent of all Canadians — about 15 million people — have had a brain disorder impact their family. The common root causes across these diseases, disorders and injuries are cell loss, loss of cell function and chemical imbalances, Brain Canada said.
The booklet on brain health also outlines suggestions for other areas of health to ensure cognitive fitness including: social interaction, mental stimulation, diet, adequate sleep and stress management.
To download a PDF of the booklet, visit http://dana.org/uploadedFiles/The_Dana_Alliances/Documents/Your%20Brain%20at%20Work%20PDF.pdf
For a list of Canadian Brain Awareness Week events visit http://www.dana.org/brainweek/calendar/results.aspx?Country=CA
