How to use reminiscing as a way of moving your health forward
Whenever people think about moving their health forward, it’s not uncommon for them to do so by thinking about how physically active they are. And that’s good! Thinking seriously about the level and frequency of physical activity is worthwhile because it’s hugely important for healthy ageing.
But sometimes people struggle to find forms of physical activity that they really enjoy and feel excited about pursuing. They might have the will but lack the ideas.
Then, when people are a bit older, the issue becomes more physical. Again, they might have the will, but there might be challenges posed by injury or illness.
The more I’ve researched the science of physical activity and healthy ageing, the more convinced I’ve become that memory has an important part to play in enhancing our physical and mental health. Let me explain…
Our physical activities stay with us
It has long been known that some of our strongest and most positive memories are those related to sport and recreation experiences. Why? Because they tend to be multi-sensory in nature – involving sight, sound, and touch – which gives them a stronger memory trace. They also tend to be linked to exciting activities and events, which make them easier to retrieve.
Recently, health care professionals have been able to make good use of such memories, especially for people living with dementia. As dementia affects short-term memory more than long-term memory, it is still possible to recall and relive experiences that are long past…particularly sports-based memories.
Back to the footy
The power of such memories was recently studied for 16 older adults living with dementia. The researchers wanted to know if recalling and reliving past sporting experiences could positively impact residents’ quality of life and social functioning.
It was found they could. Over 3 weeks, the residents met twice a week (for 60-minutes) to recall and share memoires of supporting their local football team. As a result of sharing their stories, the residents became more animated, spoke more fluently, showed more engaged social behaviours, and reported an improved quality of life.
Whilst further research is being conducted, reminiscence therapy appears to be a simple, cost-effective way to enhance the life experience of older adults.
Looking backwards to look forwards
Reminiscing on the past can be helpful in other ways too. Think about people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who are finding it difficult to establish a regular pattern of physical activity and exercise. This is a common problem, a part of which can be identifying enjoyable forms of physical activity…things people will feel motivated to do.
Here’s where reminiscence can also prove to be useful. I recently interviewed five adults in their 40s and 50s about their return to physical activity and exercise. In each case, many of their happiest and most vivid memories involved the physical pursuits of their youth. As it turned out, these early experiences were also important for inspiring an improvement in their health through an increase in physically activity.
This makes personal memories a great place to start. Thinking back to earlier times and the things we used to love doing. But not just thinking about it…doing things that help to bring those experiences to life a bit. Finding old photos, watching videos, looking at memorabilia, and/or meeting up and talking to old teammates and friends.
Reminiscence as a pathway to better health
Reminiscing in this way has the potential to inspire health change. It can help to generate ideas about how we might get moving and keep moving. Whilst that might involve doing something ‘old’ (a physical pursuit we’ve enjoyed in the past), it might also involve doing something we’ve never, ever tried before (and always wanted to try).
Using our ability to remember and reminisce is helpful for motivation. By generating some inspiration from within ourselves, it can provide a natural source of energy that helps us out of bed in the morning and get us out the door, without needing to think about it too much!
Image: Supplied
Dr Gordon Spence, author of Get Moving. Keep Moving, is a highly sought-after speaker, coach, educator and author who helps clients to live well and perform well. A psychologist and exercise scientist, Gordon’s areas of expertise are sustainable performance and healthy ageing, with a particular interest in people returning to exercise in mid-life. For more information visit www.healthyageingproject.com
Image: Getty Images