Dr. Andrea Wilkinson

Brain fitness is similar to physical fitness, but instead of exercising your body, you are strengthening your mind. Optimizing our mental abilities is not a new concept, but the information available is often vague and repetitive: stay active (mentally, physically, socially), be mindful of what you consume (food, alcohol, tobacco), and seek novelty. While these tips are 100% accurate, their ambiguity leaves little direction on the actionable steps needed to exercise ones’ mind in a personally meaningful way. At this talk, you will learn about the fundamentals of brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to change itself) and the science behind how to best optimize brain fitness. Most importantly, you’ll leave with take-home strategies on how to create personally meaningful brain boosting goals that will help you to improve your overall brain health.

Brain fitness is similar to physical fitness, but instead of exercising your body, you are strengthening your mind. Optimizing your mental abilities is not a new concept. However, most of the information provided in magazine and newspaper articles about brain health is vague and not personally relevant (e.g., learn a language, play an instrument, do a crossword, etc..). Older adults need brain health advice that is meaningful to them and easy to incorporate into their everyday lives. In this talk, you will learn the fundamentals of brain plasticity (your brain’s ability to change itself). Dr. Wilkinson will also share the science behind how to optimize your brain health and cognition as you age. She will discuss the four key pillars of brain health: physical fitness, food & nutrition, socializing, as well as mental considerations (including sleep, stress management, and mental challenges). This talk will highlight the importance of lifestyle modifications to help you optimize your bra

Are you looking to feel more mentally vibrant and physically energized? You know what you need to do to live a brain healthy life: move your body, eat healthy and nourishing foods, manage stress, get adequate sleep and challenge yourself mentally – but, the truth is, you aren’t executing on the healthy behaviours you know you should be to optimize the health of your brain and body. In this two-part brain vitality workshop, Dr. Andrea Wilkinson helps put all the pieces of brain health together in a simple and easy to understand way that will inspire action. Dr. Andrea Wilkinson is the founder and CEO of BrainShape.ca and the host of the BrainShape Podcast - a weekly show that covers the latest brain health research as well as interviews with experts in the field of healthy aging. In Part 1 of this two-part series on pathways to brain vitality, Dr. Wilkinson focuses on movement and nourishment. Specifically, she’ll highlight the negative impact sedentary behaviours can have on your ove