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Brain Exercises That Work

We all know about exercising our bodies, or at least we know we are supposed to, but we don’t all think about exercising our brain. When you are in school you take classes and exercise it a lot, but after that? Not so much. Your brain needs to work out too, and the more you exercise it, the longer it will stay sharp. Your brain can make a big difference in life satisfaction and delay its fading as you get older. There is also research that shows using it can even protect against dementia. Here are some things to know.

Physical exercise

Your brain is part of your body so physical exercise will help it. Think of it as your body is what houses your brain, and feeds it. You want the body to be in the best shape to feed your brain the best way it can. You want it to increase the blood flow and help you stay on top of things. Exercise has shown to help you mentally in many ways, so don’t ignore it

Use your memory

The more you use your memory, the better it becomes. Make an effort to remember things from the past, or yesterday, or when you are a child. You can play memory games. The more you try and remember the more open your memory pathways will be. You will find it easier to remember things, and that will help you based on all the things you have learned in your life.

Learn a foreign language

To open new pathways in your brain another good way is to learn a foreign language. There are concepts in a foreign language that we don’t have on our own. You have to often think in different ways. For example, many languages treat objects as male or female, while in English that really doesn’t exist. Language helps you open new pathways.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the old school mainstays of brain exercises. 15 minutes a day of mindful meditation can change your life. If you can’t meditate, then you can do other things that will work in a similar way. Take long walks or run a few miles a week. Anything where you can just focus and relax at the same time, and be aware of what you are doing.

Word problems

Word problems and puzzles are an amazing way to keep your mind sharp. There is a convent where the nuns practice this convent wide as a hobby, and the Alzheimer rate is amazingly small. They are all very sharp, even into their 90s. It makes you clench that brain muscle and make it stronger.

Hand-eye coordination

Doing things that require hand and eye coordination also help your brain. Something as simple as playing Frisbee in the part can help. Get active, the act alone will help, but also making you use your reflexes and eyes to judge things will increase your brain ability.

Senses

Acknowledge your senses. You have a few of them, sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell as the main ones. When you are doing something, see if you can acknowledge the feeling coming from each of these. Be more in the moment. Paying attention to things like this can open up more pathways in the mind to help exercise your brain.

Learn an instrument.

Music exists in a different part of the head. There have been cases where someone can’t talk, but can sing. Anything that you can do it open up new pathways in your brain is a good thing. Music is a wonderful way to do this. It can be a simple instrument; you do not need to pick something complex to master, just start with something small and easy.

Play games.

It’s a great idea to play chess, checkers, monopoly, or any game that requires you to think. Games are an easy way to get good mental exercise and not really notice because you are having fun. Games are also a good way to judge progress. The stronger your brain the more you will start to win.

Think of your brain as a muscle, that you need to flex to make it stronger. Sitting on the sofa watching TV is never going to make your mind stronger. When we say couch potato, you can also assume your brain is turning into a potato as well. Whether it’s playing games or meditating, exercising your brain will only make your life better.  Take control of your life and exercise your mind and body, and it will change you for the better.

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