5 Effective brain training exercises to boost your brainpower.
Everybody knows that if you want to stay fit, you need to exercise to increase flexibility, develop strength and maintain balance; we need to challenge our bodies regularly.
That said, not many of us apply the same knowledge when thinking about our brains, but it works the same way. It makes sense, right? Mental qualities like problem-solving, memory focus, and attention span change over time for better or worse.
The good news is that brain training exercises can help you increase performance and fend off mental declines as you age. If you want to boost your brainpower and memory, here are some simple things you can work into your day-to-day life!
1) BREAK A STRICT ROUTINE.
A routine can help add structure to your life, but emerging brain imaging studies revealed that brain activity decreases for automatic tasks, such as those associated with a routine.
Conversely, novel tasks show increased brain activity in several areas of the cortex. This means, changing up your routine is an easy way to proliferate your brainpower! Consider waking up earlier and doing something different in that extra time in the morning, like physical exercise or meditation. Another method to change your routine is to switch the time of tasks. For instance, if you go for a run, study, read, watch TV, socialize, or run errands at a specific time, all the time, you could change the order of those tasks to give your brain a new pattern of thought.
2) FIND A NEW PATH.
The routes you take to work, school or home, are probably ingrained into your memory. After you have done it so many times, it becomes easy. Well, that ease isn't firing up your neurons!
Instead of driving the same roads, take an unexpected turn. You can use side streets instead of the highway and vice versa. Another method to change your route is to open your window if the weather permits and identify your experience's sounds and smells. Change comes in many forms, and these sensory changes can help you remember new roads. The hippocampus is deeply involved in processing memories and constructing mental maps, and it utilizes associations between sensory information like sounds, smells, and visuals.
3) USE YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND.
What hand do you favor when doing basic tasks like holding your phones, eating with a spoon, turning your keys, or writing on paper? You probably do all these things with the same hand unless you are ambidextrous. After repeating these standard tasks so often, your brain goes into autopilot mode, and you don't need to think much about it. And you guessed it, this lack of conscious thought doesn't challenge your brain. So, switch things up by using your opposite hand! You might notice right away that simple tasks require much more thought.
If you practice this exercise every day, not only will you gain coordination, you can increase your ability to learn, focus, and engage in conscious thought.
4) PLAY OBSERVATION GAMES.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to forget details? Our brains choose to ignore information it deems unnecessary. What color shirt was the waiter wearing at the hotel last time? What was your co-worker's mind last week? What was the name of that side character on the TV show your roommate was watching? Chances are, you don't know. But you can, if you choose to pay attention. You can play observation games to improve your focus and memory.
Whether you are at home watching TV or out for a walk in the city, think about your observation game. Choose one quality to observe and look for it everywhere. For example, you could focus on people's fashion, their eye colors, or identifying their emotions. By giving your brain a stimulus, you are working it out and strengthening it.
5) PRACTICE PROBLEM-SOLVING.
This one is an exercise in problem solving and creativity. Think up an imaginary problem. Let's say you own a small business. You have a thriving restaurant that gets overwhelmed during lunch since many people get takeout before getting back to work. But a fast-food restaurant is opening up just across the street. What would you do to avoid losing business?
Get creative by thinking up problems you have never experienced. What if you only had $20 a week to spend on groceries? What would you cook this week to stay on budget and give you enough nutrition? Or what would you do if you were stranded on an island?
Problem-solving in this fun and creative way will forge a new connection in your brain and improve its function.
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