Flex Your Brain Muscles

 

"The mind is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand." - Idowu Koyenikan

Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory and learning. The brain is your control center, playing an instrumental role in just about every major body system. Your brain allows you to have emotions, communicate your feelings, coordinate your movements, and control all your actions. It allows you to do all the things that make you human. As the most amazing and powerful part of your body, you can intentionally contribute toward keeping your brain healthy. Research has shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia with some good basic health habits.  

Here are some tips to help:

EAT HEALTHY: The saying, “You are what you eat,” could not be truer in regard to your brain. While we can’t control everything that happens to our bodies, the foods we eat do influence the structure and health of our brains, supporting both short-term and long-term function. Eating healthy is as important for your brain as it is for the rest of your body. Whole diet approaches, such as the Mediterranean diet, appear to be beneficial in slowing cognitive decline. A Mediterranean diet emphasizes fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and avocados, while limiting red meat. A heart-healthy DASH diet has extra emphasis on berries and leafy greens which specifically help boost brain health. Just remember, when you feed your body, you feed your brain — so feed it something healthy!

EXERCISE PHYSICALLY: Physical exercise is as important for your brain as it is for other parts of your body. Keeping physically active is key to keeping your brain working. Physical activity also increases the connections between nerves in your brain, which can help to make your brain sharper, and help it to stay that way. Studies show that at least 150 minutes of exercise per week will help to keep your brain sharp, improving cognitive function, slowing down the mental aging process and helping us process information more effectively. Even simple exercises, such as a brisk walk, a bike ride, or basic yoga techniques, have been shown to help improve cognition. The rhythmic pace of walking gets you breathing and limbered up, creating a physical and mental state conducive for clear thinking. Aerobic exercises such as these have been found to improve short-term and long-term memory as well as processing speed, which is the speed we analyze information we receive from the world (such as processing a visual signal, like a stop sign, into an appropriate response: pressing the brakes). Not only will you keep fit and build strength, but exercise boosts blood flow to the brain. Studies have shown it can increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, which naturally shrinks as you age.

EXERCISE MENTALLY: The brain is another muscle you can “spot train” in much the same way you can train other specific muscles. Brain exercises, or "brain training" as it’s commonly called, is an emerging area of research and development. Recent studies have shown beneficial effects of not only brain training programs available online, but also of games such as Sudoku and crosswords. The important thing is to make sure whatever mental exercises you’re doing are challenging for you. In the same way that muscles grow with the challenge of increasingly heavier weights, your brain needs to be adequately challenged to be properly exercised.

STAY CREATIVE, KEEP LEARNING AND TRY NEW THINGS: Regardless of your age, don’t stop learning! Experts say that building new skills throughout your life will help keep your brain healthy by constantly creating new connections between brain cells. Step out of your comfort zone, and challenge yourself with new games, puzzles, and hobbies. Consider learning a new skill or participate in your community doing a project that isn’t familiar to you. The more intellectual stimulation you have, the more various neural circuits are used. And the more circuits you have, the harder it is for the changes associated with neurodegenerative diseases to manifest. Challenge your brain with new information. Education can help to improve your memory. You don’t have to be in a classroom to keep learning. You can take up knitting, learning a new language, or even teaching others about your favorite hobby.

Mix up your routine. Take a different route to work, or eat your salad after the main course. Changing your typical way of doing things tells your brain to wake up and pay attention.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO REST/SLEEP: Your brain is working non-stop all day, and the best way to keep it in tip-top shape is by shutting off for at least seven-nine hours per night. Studies show that inadequate sleep is linked to slower thinking and the risk of dementia. Sleep is the most important thing you can do to reset the brain, allowing it to heal, and to restore mental health. Our brains are often in overdrive, constantly bombarded with professional and personal demands. To maintain optimal brain health, you need to rest and recharge. 

ALLOW YOURSELF TO DISCONNECT: Another way to allow your brain to rest is to ensure you are setting boundaries.  Disconnect from work when you can, put your device to the side, and say nowhere possible. Plan time away so that you can mentally recharge. Make a conscious effort to have a balance in your life.

MEDITATE: Your brain needs time to settle and slow down. Don't wait until you find yourself feeling stressed or mentally exhausted to engage in self-care. Feed your body, mind, AND soul by engaging in things such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. Research shows that five-ten minutes of mindful meditation can help calm your brain, making it easier to sleep and reducing anxiety, depression, fatigue, and confusion.

STAY SOCIALLY CONNECTED: A big part of keeping your brain sharp and healthy is maintaining an active social life. Staying social is important in every stage of life, but recent research shows a link between isolation and an increased risk of dementia in older adults. Being engaged with family, friends and your community is good for both your physical and mental health. Having strong connections with other individuals is beneficial to many areas of cognition — including memory and language. Volunteer, find a friend or a group that shares similar interests, call someone on the phone. Even online social networking sites can be beneficial in increasing and improving social ties. Being social can improve your emotional health and lengthen your life expectancy. Medical research states that when you are socializing, the blood circulates to several different parts of your brain as you are listening and formulating responses. 

STIMULATE ALL OF YOUR SENSES: Studies show that the more senses you use to learn something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining memory. Consider challenging all your senses where possible.

A few ideas include:

• SMELL: Aromatherapy. Cook a good meal. Maybe cooking classes. 
• SOUND: Listening to music. Science confirms that humans are hard-wired to respond to music. You can sharpen your sense of hearing by listening to music, especially alternating genres with elements that are clearly distinct from one another. 
• SIGHT: Doing eye exercises (yes, eye exercises) like rolling your eyes, and practicing focusing can actually create a noticeable difference in your reading speed.
• TASTE: Add variety to your diet. Stimulate your taste buds by mixing it up a bit. New recipes, spices or foods you don't normally eat.
• TOUCH: This involves paying attention. Pay attention to how things feel. Being conscious about what you're touching helps awaken your brain and stimulate your sensory recognition pattern. 

STRATEGICALLY USE N.E.T. TIME: Things that take No Extra Time (NET). Listening to an audible book while working out. Or listening to a personal-development podcast while you are driving in the car. Reading when you are waiting in line, or in a waiting room to see a doctor/dentist.  These are all good ways to stay mentally active when you have 'trapped' downtime. 

HAVE FUN, SMILE AND LAUGH. Laugh. Endorphins released when you have fun, smile, and laugh, lower your stress and can help your long-term health. Ever notice you feel better after a big laugh?

Your strongest muscle and worst enemy is your mind.  Train it well.

Make today great!

Curtis

"You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius