20 ways to exercise your brain for brain health …

The things of real value to us usually need to be exercised.

For example, as Christians, we need to exercise our faith.

All of our relationships need regular nurturing, a form of “exercise” for our connections with others.

All of us need a lifestyle that embraces consistent physical exercise.

And even your brain needs regular exercise to maintain optimal “brain health.”

How can you exercise your brain? I’ll share a random list of 20 suggestions for ways you can exercise your brain, plus offer a few bonus insights. Of the many ways you can exercise your brain to keep it healthy, here are just 20 that research shows are effective:

1. Jigsaw puzzles. According to the National Library of Medicine, a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2018 indicated that putting together jigsaw puzzles taps multiple cognitive abilities and is a potential protective factor for cognitive aging.

2. Playing card games. A study conducted in 2015 revealed playing a game of cards (e.g., solitaire, bridge, poker, hearts, etc.) can lead to greater brain volume in multiple regions of the brain. The same study also found playing cards could improve memory and thinking skills.

3. Build your vocabulary. Fascinating research has been conducted regarding vocabulary and the brain, with some research revealing several regions of the brain are involved in vocabulary tasks, particularly in areas that are important for visual and auditory processing. To test this theory, try this cognitive-boosting activity:

• • Keep a notebook with you when you read.
  • Write down one unfamiliar word, then look up the definition.
  • Try to use that word five times the next day.

4. Learn a new language. Not only is expanding your vocabulary a good way to exercise your brain, so is learning a different language. According to numerous studies, bilingualism can contribute to better memory, improved visual-spatial skills, and higher levels of creativity. Being fluent in more than one language may also help you switch more easily between different tasks, and delay the onset of age-related mental decline.

5. Learn a dance. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control reports that learning new dance moves can increase your brain’s processing speed and memory.

6. Learn a new sport. Start doing a physical exercise or activity that requires both mind and body, such as table tennis, golf, swimming, tennis, an aerobics class, or paint ball.

7. Take a cooking class. Learn how to cook a new cuisine. Cooking uses a number of senses —– taste, smell, sight, and touch —– which involve different parts of the brain.

8. While we’re on the topic of food, you can challenge your taste buds. While enjoying your meals, try to identify individual ingredients, including subtle herbs and spices.

9. Learn a new skill. A study conducted in 2014 revealed that sustained engagement in learning new skills that activated working memory, episodic memory, and reasoning over a period of three months would enhance cognitive function in adults.

10. Once you’ve learned something, why not teach it? After you learn a new skill, you need to practice it. Teaching a new skill requires you to explain the concept and correct any mistakes you make.

11. Listen to or play music. Research shows listening to music can help boost your creative thinking and brain power. And learning to play music will engage both your mind and body in multiple ways that can keep your brain well-exercised.

12. Take a new route. Simple changes like taking a different route to or from work, or while out walking your dog, can benefit your brain health. Using different modes or transportation, such as riding a bike to work, skateboarding through your neighborhood are also ways to keep your brain sharp.

13. Draw a map from memory. After returning home from visiting a new place, try to draw a map of the area. Repeat this exercise each time you go somewhere new.

14. Exercise your recall by making lists. Try creating lists, from things to do, to grocery shopping lists, to chores, etc., then memorize the list. Within an hour or so, see how many things you can recall from the list.

15. Do math without using paper or a calculator. Figure math problems “in your head.”

16. Attempt use of your non-dominant hand. Using your opposite hand can be very challenging, which is why it can be a great way to increase brain activity. Try switching hands while eating or when you are trying to write.

17. Socialize. Socializing engages several areas of the brain and studies from 2019 suggest people who are socially active are at a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

18. Meditate. You may have already known that meditation can be an effective way to calm yourself by reducing stress and anxiety, but research shows meditating may also help fine-tune your memory and increase your brain’s ability to process information.

19. Memorize scripture. Not only is this an important spiritual exercise, it also directly helps to keep your mind sharp!

20. Write scripture. Writing by hand can be a positive exercise for your brain; writing scripture can make the exercise a benefit for your spiritual well-being as well. Research shows there are at least three ways writing is a good exercise for your brain: 1) Handwriting increases neural activity in certain sections of the brain, similar to meditation, 2) Handwriting sharpens the brain and helps us learn. Sequential hand movements, like those used in handwriting, activate large regions of the brain responsible for thinking, language, healing and working memory, and 3) Handwriting forces us to slow down. Mindful writing rests the brain, potentially sparking creativity, according to neuroscientist Dr. Claudia Aguirre.

Bonus insights …
In addition to these random ideas you can use just about anytime or anywhere to exercise your brain, there are also well-developed websites that offer (usually for a fee) a variety of well-researched games, activities, and engagements specifically designed to exercise your brain. An example would be BrainHQ (which you can find by clicking here). BrainHQ explains its website as follows: “BrainHQ is your online headquarters for working out your brain. Think of it as a personal gym, where you exercise your memory, attention, brain speed, people skills, intelligence, and navigation instead of your abs, delts, and quads. Just as our bodies require care and exercise over the course of life, so do our brains — especially as we age. BrainHQ provides the exercise your brain needs to be at its sharpest.”

Finally, three additional essential components to optimizing your brain health is consistent physical exercise, consistent healthy nutrition, and regularly getting enough sleep, and “quality” sleep.

Scotty