What is Brain Excercises?
The brain is the body’s most complex organ. It controls several body functions, interprets incoming sensory input, and controls our emotions. It’s also the center of memory, intelligence, and imagination. Although the brain exercises a lot every day, certain activities can help improve brain function and connectivity. This can help to protect the brain from age-related degeneration. The brain is always active, even during sleep.
However, certain activities can engage the brain in new ways, which could lead to improvements in memory, cognitive function, or creativity. The brain is involved in everything we do and, like any other part of the body, it also needs to be cared for. Exercising the brain to improve memory, concentration, or daily functionality is a priority for many people, especially as they get older. With that, people of all ages can benefit from incorporating some simple brain exercises into their daily lives.
Brain Exercises
Research has shown that there are many ways you can hone your mental sharpness and help your brain stay healthy, no matter how old you are. Doing certain brain exercises to help improve your memory, concentration, and focus can make daily tasks faster and easier to do, and keep your brain sharp as you get older. Let’s dive into some evidence-based exercises that offer the best brain-boosting benefits.
Meditation
Meditation generally involves focusing attention in a calm and controlled manner. Meditating can have multiple benefits for both the brain and the body. According to research, meditation can benefit the brain by slowing brain aging and increasing the brain’s ability to process information.
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Meditation generally involves focusing attention in a calm and controlled manner. Meditating can have multiple benefits for both the brain and the body. According to research, meditation can benefit the brain by slowing brain aging and increasing the brain’s ability to process information.
Play Memory Card Games
Playing card games or board games can be a fun way to socialize or pass the time. These activities can also be beneficial for the brain. One study found a link between games and a lower risk of cognitive decline in older adults. Flashcard games test a person’s short-term memory and ability to remember patterns. They are a simple and fun way to engage the brain and activate areas related to pattern recognition and memory.
Practice Crosswords and Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are a popular activity that can stimulate the brain. An earlier study notes that crossword puzzles can delay the onset of memory impairment in people with preclinical dementia. Completing a puzzle can be a good way to pass the time, and it can also benefit your brain. One study found that puzzles activate many cognitive functions, including perception, mental rotation, work memory, reasoning. The study concluded that doing puzzles regularly and throughout life can protect against the effects of brain aging.
Play Sudoku, Chess, and Checkers
Number puzzles, like Sudoku, can be a fun way to challenge the brain. They can also improve cognitive function in some people. Adults ages 50 to 93 found that those who practiced number puzzles more frequently tended to have a better cognitive function. Chess and other cognitive leisure activities can lead to improvements in memory, executive functioning, which is the ability to monitor and adapt behavior to meet established goals. There is a connection between regular participation in checkers or other cognitively stimulating games and increased brain volume and improved markers of cognitive health in people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Socialize
Enjoying the company of friends can be a mentally engaging leisure activity and can help preserve cognitive function. Some social activities that can help stimulate the brain include:
- Have discussions
- Playing games
- Participate in social sports
Learning New Skills
Learning new skills engages the brain in different ways and can help improve brain function. The adults found that learning a new and cognitively demanding skill, such as quilting or photographing, improved memory function.
Increase Personal Vocabulary
Increasing your vocabulary range is a great way to expand your knowledge while exercising your brain. An easy way to build vocabulary is to read a book or watch a TV show and write down unfamiliar words. Then a person can use a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word and think of ways to use the word in a sentence.
Learn A New Language
Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak two languages. bilingualism increases and strengthens connectivity between different areas of the brain. The researchers propose that this improved connectivity may play a role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Listen To Music
Listening to music that a person enjoys engages and connects different parts of the brain. The researchers propose that this may lead to improvements in cognitive function and general well-being.
Learn To Play A Musical Instrument
Learning an instrument stimulates portions of the brain responsible for teamwork. Playing an instrument can benefit cognitive development in a young brain and help protect against cognitive decline in an aging brain.
Undertake Attractive Hobbies
Taking up a new hobby can be mentally stimulating and exercise your brain in new ways.Hobbies that involve balance or dexterity can activate the motor skills of a human. Such hobbies can include knitting, embroidery, painting, and dancing.
Exercise Regularly
Regular physical exercise is helpful to both the brain and the body. Exercise improves the following aspects of brain health memory, cognition, and motor coordination.
Dancing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercise has beneficial effects on the following aspects of cognitive health memory, planning, and organization. Dance is a form of exercise that can also involve areas of the brain involved in rhythm and balance.
Playing Sports
Certain sports are demanding both physically and mentally. Some require a variety of cognitive skills, such as sustained attention, planning, and multitask. Elite athletes who participate in high-demand sports tend to have better attention and faster information processing speeds.
Practice Tai Chi
Tai chi is a form of physical exercise that involves gentle body movements, rhythmic breathing, and meditation. brain function and connectivity between tai chi practitioners and those who did not practice it. The researchers found that the tai chi practitioners had improved connectivity between different regions of their brains. They proposed that this can improve cognition and decrease the rate of memory loss.
Sleep
While it is not necessarily an active exercise, sleep is crucial for both the brain and the body. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night, although many people get less sleep than they need. Sleep has been shown to increase memory recall, reduce mental fatigue and regulate metabolism. As such, making sure you get enough sleep each night is an important step in maintaining a healthy brain.
Brain Training Exercises for Kids and Teens
When you look at children and people in general, it is easy to see that we all have differences in the way our brains are wired and function. Here are some activities you can do with your child to promote healthy brain development that will improve several key executive functions. By the way, these exercises not only help kids, but they work for adults too.
Elevator Breathing
Practicing deep breathing (breathing elevator or transferring the breath to all areas of the body) helps to improve memory and mental control. Children love to do this, so do it often. Start by having your child sitting in a cross-legged or lying position and breathing naturally.
Brain / Body Coordination Training
Our brain and body are part of our whole being, and both parts need exercise. When we exercise them together, we are helping various brain functions work more collaboratively and stay in sync. If they are right-handed, ask them to use the left and, if they are left-handed, to use the right for things like writing, dressing, and eating. You can do simple exercises with your child, such as sitting down and touching the right elbow to your left knee. Do this five times, and then do your left elbow to your right knee.
The Game of Concentration
Activities to improve memory and concentration are essential for everyone. For younger children, you can take some of their toys and line them up. Then cover them and remove one. You can also have them try to remember short lists of familiar objects around the home. For older children and teens, try placing random objects in front of them for 15 seconds, then remove them and see how many they can remember. Start with five and keep increasing the number as you master the task.
Family Game Night
Play games like checkers and chess. Or try card games like UNO, Hearts, Go Fish, and Speed. All of these games teach how to solve problems, plan, and cooperate (how to take turns and handle frustration). Games like Jenga and Operation improve attention, concentration, coordination, and tolerance for frustration. Another advantage is that playing together is fun for everyone and helps strengthen family ties.
Play Online Games
Many websites offer great free games that are fun and enhance a wide variety of academic skills. This is screen time that parents can feel good about.
Brain exercises can be as simple as actively engaging the brain in daily tasks. Exercising the brain can help improve brain function and increase connectivity between different areas. This can help to protect the brain from age-related degeneration. It may be a good idea to try a variety of brain training activities at first and stick to the ones that give you the most pleasure.
