In our current conditions of working from home and trying to keep busy while we distance ourselves from the COVID-19 outbreak, you may be thinking that this is the right time to perfect your routine. Many of us are looking to incorporate workouts and healthy eating habits into our daily routine that will benefit us as we get older, but have you thought of exercising your brain?
Brain exercises help improve memory over time and keep us sharp as we age. Incorporating simple activities such as doing a crossword puzzle or playing cards with your family are easy ways to stimulate cognitive activity. Outlined below are three ways to help improve memory and mental fitness.
1. Learn Something New
By introducing a new activity to your current routine it stimulates your brain to be utilized in a way that promotes healthy brain activity. This activity could be anything from learning to speak a new language, playing a new instrument or cooking a new cuisine. For example, there are studies that show that learning to play an instrument can keep the mind sharp as we age and also has been known to delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
2. Test Yourself
Testing is known to be the go-to method of improving retention. Short tests show to be one of the best methods to improve your memory when learning. A simple way to put this into action is to create a list of any type, for example, a grocery list or to-do list and try to recall the items on that list an hour or two later.
3. Meditate Meditate Meditate
Meditation is an extremely valuable activity that you can use to help focus on what’s important and can improve attention when learning something new. Meditation helps us be mindful of what is important to help reduce stress and anxiety which in turn promotes a healthy lifestyle and a healthy brain.
For more ideas on how to practice exercising your brain: https://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/mental-fitness/brain-exercises-for-memory.aspx
