Exercising your brain is easy and can be started today!
Just like our bodies, our minds also need exercise. We can exercise our bodies by going to the gym, jogging, and taking up different sports. But what about the brain? It seems that most people don't know it but we can improve our memory, boost energy levels and prevent Alzheimer's by practicing simple exercises for our brain. Read on and I'll reveal the best exercises you can do for a powerful and healthy brain.
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If you are concerned about a decline in your mental capacity and want to improve your brain function naturally without the use of pharmaceuticals or other supplements, here are the best exercises to keep your mind healthy and fit.
Playing an instrument
Did you know that just by playing an instrument regularly, your gray matter increases? Yes, studies have shown that gray matter, the area of the brain that processes information, increases in volume due to the augmented communication between nerve cells from both sides of the brain.
So, if you decide to try it, playing the piano is the best choice to keep a healthy brain. If the piano is not your thing, try playing the guitar, or the ukulele (easier since it only has four strings). The harmonica and the drums are good choices, too.
Reading
This one is very well known by many people. Reading strengthens the connections in your brain. It also helps you sharpen your memory skills and concentration.
Reading helps you to create stronger connections in your brain. It prevents your cognitive decline, improves your memory, and expands your vocabulary. And all that besides all other health benefits like reducing stress and helping to fall asleep.
Next time you pick a book, try to find one that helps you think intelligently or one that stimulates your mind. Also, good readings for your brain health are books that improve your memory. Fiction books are good for stimulating your imagination. Here are some suggestions for you, click the image to check them out:
Jigsaw puzzles
Another good activity to improve memory, especially short-term memory, is doing jigsaw puzzles. It exercises both sides of your brain at once. And it not only promotes your brain cell connections, but it is an entertaining way to spend time either alone or in the company of your family or friends.
If you want to do jigsaw puzzles to exercise your brain, there are so many to choose from. You can pick an animal theme puzzle, flowers, beautiful nature scenery, food, cars, maps, or even clear puzzles (Yes, completely clear puzzle pieces!). Click on the image to check it out:
Ballroom dancing
If you want to lower your risk to get dementia, start dancing. A study showed that dancing helps you by improving cognitive skills and helping reduce memory decline. The effort when trying to master the coordination needed for your dance moves helps you have a powerful and healthy brain.
It might be a good idea to enroll in some dance classes and start moving to improve your physical health and power up your brain.
Crossword puzzles
Who hasn’t tried a crossword puzzle? It is so beneficial for your brain health that it is a tool used in schools to improve kids’ memory and focus skills. Its ability to sharpen your memory, when it is regularly practiced, can help you have a mind several years younger compared to people of your same age.
A study showed that to get better results, you should at least spend one-hour doing crossword puzzles. Are you ready to start doing crossword puzzles to improve your brain health? I challenge you to start today! Click on the images for more details:
Meditation
Did you know that meditation can improve your brain’s health? Meditation is popularly known as a method used to reduce stress. However, a study showed that through the consistent use of different meditation techniques, your brain can develop more gray matter, the area that deals with processing information.
Another study showed that practicing mindfulness meditation improves your visual short-term memory.
So, if big companies like Google, Sony, and Facebook use meditation as a way to improve their employees’ health, why don’t you give it a try?
Learn a new language
Again, if you want more gray matter, guess what? Learn a new language. Learning a new language not only expands your possibilities around the world, but it improves your mental agility, memory, and concentration. And there is something else, learning a new language also positively affects the white matter (the one in charge of facilitating the travel of information). So, when you learn a new language, the information that is processed in the gray matter has a way to move or travel to where it needs to go.
Are you ready to start the adventure of learning a new language to exercise your brain? You can start with a language that resembles your native language or maybe you are interested in learning sign language. I speak English and Spanish and I am learning Italian, which resembles Spanish my native language. Which one are you going to try?
Learn a new skill
Learning a new skill strengthens the connections in your brain, making it easier for new information to be processed and travel. It makes the learning process faster and ready for more new information. Therefore, it keeps your brain active, decreasing your chances of dementia.
If learning a new skill is something that attracts you, then take advantage of the benefits that it offers to your brain. There are many ways to learn new skills, from books, videos, live classes, and so on. If you like the kitchen, why not learn to decorate cakes? Or, if you are an art admirer, why not try a drawing, painting, or photography class? Maybe you have a hidden artist inside and who knows, besides helping your brain, it might become something that can be profitable too.
To conclude, having a powerful and healthy brain should be on your to-do list of daily activities. Most of the time, we focus on exercising the body to stay healthy and fit, but we forget the brain. There are so many activities that can help you strengthen your brain, like reading, learning a language, or completing a jigsaw puzzle. It is easy and the benefits are so enormous. Start today to get your brain in shape!
If you liked this post, let me know in the comment section below. And as always, follow a healthy lifestyle and come back to the next topic.
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This was super educative. Thanks for sharing Dr!
This is a great list. I've just recently picked back up the piano and I enjoy stretching my brain this way!
These are all great ideas! I always try to read as much as possible!
as a mental health therapist, these are the same activities I promote with my clients in our sessions. Thank you for sharing these!
These are all great ideas, and I was encouraged to see how many I am already implementing - great confirmation that it's worth the time to do puzzles, learn new things, and get some fun exercise!