Build a Brain Gym With These Easy Cognitive Exercises
July 2, 2021Categories: Live Healthy, Neurosciences, Prevention, Rehabilitation Services
Knowing how to get physical exercise is easy. Gyms, fitness classes, sports, and workout DVDs offer many ways to get fit. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for exercising your brain. Although the brain is not exactly a muscle, it functions like one in the sense it can be developed and trained.
Studies show that by stimulating your brain and performing cognitive exercises, you can improve your brain function and reduce the risk of dementia. But boosting brain power goes beyond working crossword puzzles. As you build your own brain health routine, keep these four categories in mind.
Brain Exercise Categories
1. Aerobics
- Meditate.
- Practice deep, belly breathing.
- Read.
- Socialize.
- Take a nature walk.
2. Balancing
- Build something with your hands.
- Do jigsaw puzzles.
- Do math in your head.
- Listen to music and memorize the lyrics.
- Play card games and board games.
3. Strengthening
- Draw a map of your town from memory.
- Learn a word every day, and use it five times in conversation.
- Memorize four details about people you encounter in public.
- Recall details from a TED talk or podcast.
- Try to remember short lists forward and backward.
4. Stretching
- Drive a different route to work or the store.
- Learn a language.
- Learn a new skill or teach a skill to someone else one.
- Make a new recipe.
- Try using your nondominant hand.
More Tips for Better Brain Health
No equipment necessary. Just as you can take a walk without any equipment, you do not need expensive or complicated programs to keep your brain sharp. Online training programs are convenient, but you can stimulate your brain in similar ways for free.
Routine is important. Getting at least 30 minutes of daily physical exercise helps you maintain a healthy and balanced body. The same is true for your brain health. Write your daily schedule on a notepad, and set a reminder with an alarm to remind you to exercise your brain. It can take three to four weeks to build a new habit, so stick with it.
Variety is key. Varying your routine prevents boredom and keeps you from hitting a plateau. If you do the same cognitive activity over and over again, your brain will get good at that one exercise, but not much else. Try to rotate what you do daily.
Explore More
If you want more ideas or need help building a structured brain exercise program, our speech-language pathologists provide outpatient cognitive therapy. Most insurance providers cover the service if you have a doctor’s referral.
