The power of music to integrate and cure... is quite fundamental. It is the profoundest non chemical medication.

Lifelong learning and social interaction are important determinants for brain health, providing a source for cognitive stimulation, helping to improve attention, memory, language and problem solving. They can also help slow down age-related cognitive decline and dementia in later life.

This section covers:  

1. Learning
2. Socialising
3. Drumming

1. LEARNING

Research suggests that lifelong learning decreases the risk of dementia and delays cognitive decline associated with aging. Learning a new instrument, like the drums, speaking another language, reading, playing music and intellectual engagement, all bring benefits for brain health, contributing to cognitive reserve and lowering the risk of dementia. 

GETTING STARTED

Pick Up An Instrument

Learning to play a new instrument, like the drums, has been shown to increase grey matter in the brain and strengthen connections between brain regions. If you already play, try learning new songs or techniques to continue challenging yourself.

Listen To New Types Of Music

Actively listening to new genres of music or learning to understand complex rhythms can also provide cognitive stimulation.

Take Up A New Hobby

Learning something new, like painting, gardening, or a craft, can stimulate different parts of your brain and keep you engaged.

Online Courses

Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or community colleges often offer free or low-cost courses on a wide range of subjects. Studying a new topic can keep your brain active and adaptable.

Learn A Language

Studies suggest that bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia by increasing cognitive reserve. Apps like Duolingo or language classes can make learning a new language fun and accessible.

Read Regularly

Reading books, especially fiction, improves brain connectivity and empathy, and it keeps the brain engaged in complex thought processes.

Play Strategy Games Or Puzzles

Games like chess, Sudoku, and crosswords are great for memory, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. These activities challenge your brain and may slow cognitive decline.

Use our free Drum Pads to capture your LEARNING goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

2. SOCIALISING

Research suggests that social isolation is linked to an increased risk of dementia. So keeping connected to the people around us is another good way to give back to our brains.

Maintaining strong social connections as we age can help preserve mental agility, emotional resilience, and the ability to adapt to new information or challenges. Regular social interactions stimulate different parts of the brain, helping it stay strong and resilient against age-related decline. 

In essence, socialising regularly is like investing in your brain health, making it easier to stay independent, capable and happy as you age.

GETTING STARTED

Join a Group with Shared Interests

Look for local clubs or online groups that focus on things you enjoy, such as book clubs, exercise classes, art classes, or volunteering groups. Finding people with common interests can make socialising easier and more enjoyable.

Set Small Goals for Social Interaction

If socialising feels overwhelming, start with small goals like saying hello to neighbours, making small talk with colleagues, or scheduling regular check-ins with family or friends. These small interactions can help you feel more connected over time.

Consider Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people while contributing to something meaningful. It gives a sense of purpose and routine, which can be powerful in combating loneliness and isolation.

Regular Contact with Loved Ones

Schedule regular phone calls or video chats with family and friends, especially if you don’t see them in person often. Knowing you have regular check-ins can create a sense of continuity and connection.

Community Centres

Many community centres offer activities and social gatherings for adults and seniors. These centres can be great places to make new friends, engage in stimulating activities and stay mentally active.

Physical Activities with Others

Exercise classes, biking, walking groups, or even group drumming exercises (like "Move") can combine physical activity with social interaction, providing a double benefit for brain health.

Pet Therapy

If human socialising feels challenging, pets can provide companionship and improve mood. Many studies show that interacting with pets can reduce loneliness and provide emotional comfort.

Positive Thinking

Sometimes loneliness can lead to negative thinking patterns. Practicing gratitude, such as keeping a daily gratitude journal, can help shift your focus to positive experiences and people in your life, encouraging a more proactive approach to connecting with others.

Social Skills Classes

For some, socialising can feel intimidating or awkward. There are classes and resources available to help build social skills, improve communication, and boost confidence in social settings.

Quality Over Quantity

It's more important to have meaningful relationships than to have a lot of them. Focus on building a few strong, supportive connections rather than feeling the need to socialise with many people.

Use our free Drum Pads to capture your SOCIALISING goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

3. DRUMMING

Playing the drums isn't a solo endeavour; it's a ticket to connect with others. Group drumming or playing in a band, create a sense of belonging and camaraderie. These social interactions elevate your mood, reduce feelings of isolation and contribute to your overall brain health.

Learning to drum Drumming can support mental stimulation by providing a complex and challenging activity that requires concentration, memory and motor skills. As you learn and practice new rhythms and patterns, your brain is stimulated and can adapt and reorganise to improve cognitive function. 

Research shows that drumming accesses all of the key regions of the brain, stimulating neural connections, improving focus and promoting emotional well-being. 

Here's what happens in key regions of your brain when you're drumming:

FRONTAL LOBE

Decision Making & Planning

When you drum, especially in complex rhythms, you're constantly making decisions about which drum to hit and when. This strengthens your frontal lobe, which helps you make better choices in everyday life, like planning your day effectively or solving problems efficiently.

TEMPORAL LOBE

Understand & Remember Things You Hear

Drummers listen closely to rhythms. As you practice, your temporal lobe becomes a memory powerhouse. You remember song patterns and become better at picking up on sounds in your environment. This improves musical skills and can even help you remember where you left your keys!

CEREBELLUM

Helps You Move Smoothly & Stay Balanced

Drummers need precise coordination between their hands and feet. Drumming regularly hones your cerebellum's skills. You'll notice improved hand-eye coordination, better balance, and smoother movements in everyday activities, like catching a ball or even just walking confidently.

Motor coordination refers to the ability to use different body parts in a joined up, efficient way to perform various movements and activities. Drumming supports this because it requires the use of both hands and feet in a coordinated manner, which can improve bilateral coordination.

OCCIPITAL LOBE

Helps Make Sense of What You See

While drumming isn't primarily about seeing things, reading drum notation or watching other musicians for cues (think Max Weinberg and Bruce Springsteen) involves your occipital lobe. Over time, this helps improve your ability to spot details and patterns in visual information, like reading maps or recognising faces.

PARIETAL LOBE

Spatial Awareness & Touch

Drummers move their hands and feet in precise ways to hit the right drums. This strengthens your parietal lobe, making you more aware of your body in space. The feedback you get from the drums when you hold the sticks is a good example of your parietal lobe processing the sensations you feel and how this synchronises with the music. Over time you might find you're better at navigating through crowded spaces or even playing sports that involve spatial awareness.

BRAIN STEM

Basic Functions (Heartbeat & Breathing)

Drumming isn't just mental; it's physical. When you play, you breathe deeply, which calms your brain stem. This can help reduce stress, lower your heart rate, and make you feel more relaxed. Think of it as a mini-vacation for your brain!

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Moving our bodies is good for the brain as it increases blood flow and oxygenation, promotes the growth of new brain cells and neural connections, reduces inflammation and stress hormones, and improves cognitive function. Aerobic Exercise is defined as "relating to, involving, or requiring oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen to meet energy demands during exercise. Examples would be running or jogging, swimming, cycling, stair climbing, walking & drumming.

This section covers:

1. Aerobic Exercise
2. Blood Pressure
3. Blood Sugar
4. Cholesterol
5. Body Mass Index (BMI)
6. Drumming & Exercise

1. AEROBIC EXERCISE

Exercise improves blood flow, reduces inflammation and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters by engaging the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (associated with executive functions) and cerebellum (linked to coordination). Regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and may protect against Alzheimer's.

The World Health Organisation recommends that we should aim for 150 mins of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 mins of vigorous intensity activity a week. 

This works out to just 10-20 minutes per day. 

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2. BLOOD PRESSURE

When our blood pressure is too high (hypertension), it puts extra strain on the brain. Persistent high blood pressure can increase the risk of developing serious conditions, such as: 

• heart disease
• heart attacks
• strokes
• heart failure
• kidney disease
• vascular dementia

Aim to keep your blood pressure less than 120/80mmHg. Healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your blood pressure, such as:

• Don't eat too much salt
• Avoid adding salt to meals
• Have less than 6g of salt a day
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
• Less than 14 alcohol units a week
• Don't drink too much caffeine
• No more than 4 cups of coffee a day
• Stop smoking
• Get active to lose weight

3. BLOOD SUGAR 

Losing weight will make it easier for your body to lower your blood sugar level, and can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol. This will also help to reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

4. CHOLESTEROL

Too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels. It makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke. Aim to keep your cholesterol below 193 mg/dL or 5.0 mmol/L.

Guidance on lowering your cholesterol

5. BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

BMI is a good starting point for the majority of people to work out whether you are in a healthy category by using two simple measures - weight and height. It can help assess if you are at a higher risk of developing health problems like heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 - 25 kg/m2.

If you are overweight, it's best to lose weight slowly over time, aiming for around 0.5 to 1kg a week. 

Use the BMI calculator to see where you are on the scale, and then make small, realistic changes to your diet and physical activity. 

Try our free Drum Pads to capture your FITNESS goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

6. DRUMMING & EXERCISE

Drumming is a form of aerobic exercise that increases heart rate, blood flow and oxygenation to the brain, providing a range of beneficial side effects.

Attention and Focus

Drumming requires sustained attention and focus on rhythm and timing, which can improve cognitive control and attentional processes. Regular drumming practice can help improve attention and focus, which can enhance cognitive function.

Memory

Drumming involves memorizing and recalling complex rhythmic patterns, which can improve memory function. Research has shown that regular drumming practice can enhance memory and learning abilities.

Motor Control

Drumming involves coordination between various parts of the brain and the body, which can improve motor control and dexterity. This can translate to other activities that require fine motor skills, such as writing or typing.

Stress Reduction

Drumming has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, which can improve cognitive function. Chronic stress can negatively impact cognitive health, so finding ways to reduce stress can be beneficial.

Drumming is a fun and effective way to support cognitive health. It can help improve attention, memory, motor control, and reduce stress levels, all of which can enhance cognitive function and promote brain health.

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Eating a healthy diet supports brain health by providing the nutrients and energy that the brain needs to function optimally. 

This section covers:  

1. Nutrition
2. Alcohol 
3. Smoking

1. NUTRITION

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds have been shown to support brain health by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy brain cell membranes. Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can also protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can contribute to age-related cognitive decline.

Daily Recommendations: 

• 5 portions (400g) of fruit & vegetables
• Less than 90g red/processed meat
• 3 or more portions of starchy foods
• Less than 6g of salt
• Less than 50g of free sugars

Ensure typical weekly diet includes 3 or more of the recommendations above. 

Here are some core elements of a healthy diet plan that can improve brain health.

Whole foods

Focus on eating whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. These foods provide a variety of nutrients that are essential for brain health, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Include sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, such as fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, and sardines), nuts, and seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve brain function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Low-glycemic index carbohydrates

Choose low-glycemic index carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables. These release glucose into the bloodstream slowly, providing a steady supply of energy to the brain.

Antioxidant-rich foods

Eat foods that are high in antioxidants, such as berries, dark chocolate, and leafy greens. Antioxidants help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can damage brain cells and contribute to cognitive decline.

Limit sugar and processed foods

Minimise your daily intake of sugar to less than 50g and processed foods, as they can contribute to inflammation and increase the risk of cognitive decline.

Try our free Drum Pads to capture your NUTRITION goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

2. ALCOHOL & HYDRATION

10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week is not good for your brain and puts you at risk from stroke, brain damage and damage to the nervous system. There's also evidence that regular drinking at these levels can make your mental health worse. 

14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 6 medium glasses of wine.

Avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol in a week. Advice/tips to help you cut down 

Drink 6-8 glasses of fluid per day to hydrate your brain. Water, low-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, tea and coffee, all count.

Try our free Drum Pads to capture your goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

3. SMOKING

Research has found that smokers have a thinner cerebral cortex than non-smokers. This region of the brain is responsible for thinking skills including memory and learning, so thicker is better. Quitting is the best way to protect your brain and the rest of your body.

Here are some tips to help you succeed.

1. Write your goals on our Drum Pads
2. Tell people you're quitting
3. Remember what worked in the past
4. Use stop smoking aids
5. Have a plan if you are tempted
6. List your smoking triggers
7. Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy
8. Exercise away the urge to smoke
9. Join the Facebook group for support

In England, the NHS will start offering a new treatment to people who want to quit cigarettes. Varenicline, is a daily tablet given over a few months, available on prescription only, which means you can't buy it over the counter at a pharmacy or supermarket. 

Help to quit smoking is available online at NHS Smokefree, speak to your doctor about varenicline if have not managed to quit successfully using other medications like nicotine patches or gum.

Try our free Drum Pads to capture your goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

Getting a good night's sleep is essential for brain health. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, clears out waste products, and restores energy. 

This section covers:  

1. Sleep
2. Mindfulness
3. Drumming 

1. SLEEP

During sleep, the brain also undergoes important physiological processes that support brain health. The glymphatic system, a waste clearance system in the brain, becomes more active during sleep, helping to clear out toxic substances that can accumulate in the brain over time. Sleep helps regulate hormones that affect mood and stress, such as cortisol and serotonin.

Chronic sleep deprivation over several years has been linked to an increased risk of age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on memory, attention and decision-making. 

Here are some sleep tips to help you succeed.

1. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night
2. Check your mattress for support
3. Ensure your room is not too hot/cold
4. Listen to calm music before bedtime
5. Switch off devices 1 hour before bed
6. Limit caffeine during the evening
7. Don't eat a lot late at night

Try our free Drum Pads to capture your SLEEP goals and stay focused on achieving them. 

2. MINDFULNESS

Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help reduce stress and improve cognitive function. A bedtime meditation routine can also help you to get a good nights sleep. Practicing Yoga or meditation can be a good way to help prepare you for a restful sleep.

3. DRUMMING

Banging the drums unleashes tension and boosts the production of endorphins – your brain's natural mood-lifters.

Drumming is a helpful tool for reducing stress levels, as it provides a rhythmic and repetitive activity that can promote relaxation and mindfulness. When drumming, you can focus on the sound and rhythm of the drums, which can help shift your attention away from stressful thoughts and feelings. 

Regular drumming practice can help establish a routine and provide a sense of structure and predictability, which can be helpful for managing stress, promoting well-being and getting a good nights sleep.

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