Keeping your brain fit and active is just as important as keeping every other part of your body active. If you remember that your brain is an organ, then it is easier to understand; just like your lungs and your heart, for example, your brain needs to be exercised. Regularly engaging in brain exercises can increase your memory, improve your ability to problem solve, and even make you more creative. As well as this, keeping your brain active can reduce your chances of developing degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some great ways to exercise your brain.
Read
It isn’t what you’re reading that counts; it’s the fact of reading itself. So you could pick up a literary classic, or you could leaf through a checkout magazine, and it will have pretty much the same effect on your brain; it will stimulate it, which is exactly what you want. Not only does reading allow your brain to get some great exercise, but it’s also about escapism, so your mind can relax at the same time. It may sound like an impossible feat, but you can do it, and it’s a good thing when it happens. As a bonus, reading helps to improve your vocabulary, which makes conversations much easier and potentially more interesting.
Take A Class
Learning something new is another excellent way to stimulate the brain. It can be anything as long as you need to think about it. A cookery class, an art class where you can use a beautiful pochade box, creative writing, gardening, wine tasting, dog training, or anything else that comes up, will help keep your brain active.
While we’ll touch upon it on the next point, exercise classes are also a great way to boost your brainpower. While some people don’t like the idea of hitting the gym, classes like jiu-jitsu are fantastic because it’s closer to chess than you may think! Many people have used technique and skill to beat opponents twice their size and strength, if you’re looking for something a bit more like this, there’s plenty around. Get on a gi (a kimono traditionally wear, which providers like Fighters Market offer), and start learning!
If you don’t know what you want to do, just pick anything and see how it goes. You’ll soon get an idea of what you enjoy learning about. Just make sure you try different things, as variety is essential.
Go Running
It may seem strange that running can help boost your brainpower, but it’s true; it does work. Running increases the level of oxygen getting to your brain, which means that it will release more endorphins into your body. Not only is your brain getting some exercise, but you are feeling great about the whole thing too, and getting fitter as you go.
Solve Puzzles
Any kind of puzzle will work when it comes to keeping your brain active, so it depends on what you like to do. You might try crosswords or word searches. Sudoku is fun for those who prefer numbers to words. Escape games can stimulate the mind as you play with friends. Watching murder mysteries on TV can enhance how quickly the brain works if you try to work out whodunnit. The important thing is not the kind of puzzle you’re solving, and it doesn’t even matter whether you manage to solve it or not. The important part is that you’re trying, and your brain will be fitter and healthier because of it.
Try Yoga
Yoga is a lot more strenuous than it looks at first glance, and it’s perhaps not surprising that beyond the physical ways that yoga can stretch you, it works to relax and calm the mind as well. Sometimes our brains can be overstimulated, especially with the prevalence of screens in our lives, making our attention span a lot shorter than it should be. Taking a class like yoga, which requires total concentration and focus, can relax your brain and allow it to go as blank as it ever can. When you get back to work or ‘real life’ after your yoga lesson, you’ll be able to think more clearly and be more productive.