Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Introduction

As a Medical Exercise Specialist I daily see people in all stages of health and wellness challenges. Some are in the post injury/post rehabilitation phase of healing and in need of professionally supervised programs to help them along their wellness continuum.

Not all clients fit this category, however. Many I work with want to address the oncoming train of cognitive decline that is inevitable with aging if allowed to progress uninterrupted. These proactive people want an aggressive plan to prevent the decline that is certain if it is not arrested and reversed. They know that brain health is the key to taking charge of our own cognitive health and wellness continuum.

In the absence of injury or illness the effects of physical, mental, and cognitive decline will affect us all if not assertively and positively addressed head on. Often symptoms of illness or injury are multi-layered. As with the wellness continuum, there is a disease and injury continuum as well. We can become easily overwhelmed by illness and injury and the need to treat pain while navigating through side-effects of post-surgery and supporting medications. All of this, in addition to the altered activity and life style occurs when we are not at our best. It can greatly affect our mind, body and spirit. Whether we digress into poor health or progress to wellness, we are directly and strongly affected by the choices we make. A plethora of scientific research is readily available to support that brain and body health are intricately linked. Recognizing risk factors and how to address and even reverse them is vital and it is possible.

It takes a combination of well planned, specific activities, a combinatorial (Patterson, 2019)] approach to overall health and wellness to positively overcome the illnesses and injuries that affect our physical and psychological health. A combinatorial approach includes eight different but tightly linked cognitive (cog) wheels that beautifully work together for total wellness. As with all cog wheels in any well-oiled machine these work at peak efficiency when each cog wheel is optimally functioning. The reverse is also true. If one cog wheel is dysfunctional, all other wheels will be directly affected. The longer the cog wheel is left unaddressed, or in disrepair, the less effectively the machine will work.

Research shows that we all possess the power to improve every aspect of our health by taking charge of our brain health and craft our own future.

The articles in this series will address each of the eight cognitive ‘cog’ wheels that are vital to the complete health and wellness continuum.

For more information about the 8 cog wheels of total brain health, please email Brain Builder Pros, pam@brainbuilderpros.com. Or you may also call or text us at (405) 888-0502.