Exercise is not only good for physical health, it also helps sharpen the sharpness of the brain. With brain exercise, new nerves are formed that can protect you from symptoms of dementia or senility at first. In addition, new neural connections will improve the brain’s cognitive ability to think logically and solve problems. That’s why brain exercise is as important as exercise. Learn about the various ways you can exercise your brain in this article.
Ways You Can Exercise Your Brain
Reading
Do you like reading? Well, this hobby is actually a form of brain exercise, you know! Because, reading can flex the muscles of the brain, either when reading light reading (like comics or magazines) or “heavy” reading that contains a variety of information.
Reading will also broaden your horizons so you can become smarter. Therefore, try adding to your type of reading.
In fact, according to research by Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas conducted in 2001, it is known that reading can help build a “cognitive reserve” to delay the onset of dementia.
Playing Puzzles or Crosswords (TTS)
For a long time crosswords (TTS) have been well known as a way to hone the brain’s skills. Well, according to the LearningRx Cognitive Learning Centre, in addition to crosswords, puzzles and Sudoku can also train the skills of the brain, particularly the left brain. If you’re used to playing crosswords and puzzles, add new strategies and keep increasing the difficulty from day to day to increase the success of your brain training, for example by solving crosswords with unusual themes. If you are bothered with carrying paper puzzles, you can play puzzle games on your phone, here is example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=puzzle.hidden.objects.game
Meanwhile, to hone your right brain’s ability to think creatively, you can play strategy games such as chess, monopoly or other computer games.
Learning Foreign Languages
Learning foreign languages activates parts of the brain that have not been used since you started speaking. A 2007 study at York University in Toronto found that the use of several languages can increase blood flow to the brain to maintain healthy nerve tissue.
Play Music
A study by Nina Kraus published on the Live Science website shows that people who play musical instruments can respond better to sound and language. They also tend to experience a slower brain aging process. In another study, Kraus also found that playing musical instruments could improve one’s ability to listen in a noisy atmosphere and recognize the emotional aspects of speech.
Physical Activity
Exercise can also improve brain health, because it can increase blood flow to the brain. Do whatever exercise you like, as long as it makes you move or actively move.
An example of physical activity that you can do as a form of brain exercise is aerobic exercise. This is based on research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the US National Library of Medicine. This research has found that aerobic exercise has benefits for your brain, provided it is done regularly and constantly for 45 minutes or more. If necessary, you can also add fast walking or jogging into your daily routine to get the benefits.
Chat With Other People
In addition to those mentioned above, brain exercise can be done simply by socializing or interacting with the people around you. This can be done by gathering with friends, communities or groups that can expand your social network.
In fact, a 2006 study by Dr. David Bennett of Rush University Medical Center’s Dr. David Bennett found that having a social network can provide protection against the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Looking for a Variety of New Things
If you have done some of the above ways and feel bored because you do it too often, challenge your brain to learn new skills or things you’ve never done before.
Leave a Reply