The Canyon Ranch Tucson resort is launching a series of brain health improvement courses this month (November), to run throughout 2015 as one of its speciality weeks during the property’s Life Enhancement Programme.

The Life Enhancement Programme is held all year-round at the self-contained Life Enhancement Center on the Canyon Ranch estate. The facility is designed for people who are pursuing ‘all-healthy living’ goals. It runs speciality weeks dedicated to certain topics during the year – the latest will focus on how to lower the risks of developing degenerative brain disorders such as dementia.

Developed for the resort by Dr Richard Carmona, president of the Canyon Ranch Institute, the brain health weeks will comprise a series of lectures, workshops and fitness activities. Participants will learn how to incorporate health habits that affect memory into their routines, they will hear about the relationship between diet and brain function, in addition to how to implement effective relaxation techniques.

The week is structured around three key principles: maximising brain function through nutrition; daily brain health workouts; and meditation, mindfulness and spiritual contemplation. The programme, according to Canyon Ranch, provides people with the tools to improve memory, mood and sleep patterns. Participants are expected to be able to achieve faster and more accurate thinking, greater efficiency, better balance and – as a result – have more energy and quicker reactions.

Maintaining a normal body weight is key to minimising the risks of dementia, reads a statement by Canyon Ranch. Dr Carmona has therefore developed dedicated exercise plans that can be continued at home.

Canyon Ranch Tucson is the flagship resort, others can be found in Massachusetts, and one more in Miami. The Tucson property is located on 150 desert acres in the foothills of Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains.