10. Having good listeners in your life strengthens your brain
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A new study shows that having people around you who are good listeners can build your cognitive resilience and maybe lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine analyzed data from over 2000 people in the original Framingham heart study that started in the 1940s. They looked at five types of social support – listening, advice, love and affection, emotional support, and sufficient contact. They found that only the people who reported greater access to supportive listeners – not love, affection, or advice – had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The key is people who let you talk through something on your mind without trying to solve or fix it. And it appears to be important to develop a network of good listeners in your forties or fifties, long before brain decline can start.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
