Our adult children and grandchildren are in school, learning how to learn every day. But what can everyone else do to keep our brains active and alert? We’ve all heard that by keeping a healthy diet, maintaining our cardiovascular system through aerobic exercises and weight training, and exercising our brains, we can reduce our chances of suffering from dementia in our twilight years.
How do we exercise our brains? First and foremost, it’s not just by doing crossword puzzles. Yes, crossword puzzles are a good part of brain exercise. Still, according to Dr. Marie Pasinski, a Harvard Medical School neurologist who wrote our book Lighten Your Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Rules to Boost Your Brain Power, those activities are part of a routine rather than brain training exercises.
Doing things that are out of the ordinary, such as learning how to play an instrument or going to a foreign country, and everyday activities like volunteering and having a social life are a few ways to develop your brain.
Effective ways to get your brain muscles stretching
Dr. Pasinski’s publication included an essay named Get Out of That Rut! in my brainpower book. It offers some practical, easy ideas for waking up our brains as we go about our daily activities. I have tried a few of the suggestions myself carrying out my routine at a different store where the layout is unfamiliar and utilizing my left hand to do tasks like brushing my teeth.
Here are a couple more brain-stimulating ideas from Jennie:
- Don’t thread your shoes the same way.
- Make a habit of watching a television program broadcast in a language other than one’s own.
- Take a different way to the grocery store.
- Move the chronology in which you’ve read the comics.
- Choose what to wear in the dark.
- Pull the belt through the loops in the opposite direction.
- Put your earrings in the opposite order.
- Kick the soccer ball with your non-dominant foot.
- Take a backward step for 100 steps.
Brain Exercises for a Pandemic
Wordle would be the beginning if I didn’t do accounting in my free time. I learned about this game about a month after my son suggested it. It’s available for free from The New York Times. People are starting to talk about this game.
For the new push toward live TV streaming due to the dangers of the pandemic, I would now suggest that you observe a channel or series you normally would not check out. That is a good way to keep your brain in shape.
Create An Uncomfortable Situation For Your Brain
Charles Dickens, a prolific writer all his life, said, “Minds, like bodies, often find comfort indulgent. And that’s the message that I take away from Dr. Pasinski’s book.”
We know we want to make our brains uncomfortable enough so that they can stretch and adapt, thereby creating new neural pathways. It’s hard to sustain interest in doing the same old things day after day, but at age 65, I do not wish to get too comfy. So when you see a smear of toothpaste on my sleeve, you know it’s been too long since I have brushed left-handed.
- Learn Something New: Engaging in new and challenging activities stimulates the brain. Consider learning to play a musical instrument, picking up a new language, or taking up a hobby that requires mental effort, such as painting or woodworking.
- Travel and Explore: Visiting new places and immersing ourselves in different cultures provides mental stimulation and expands our perspective. Exploring unfamiliar surroundings forces our brains to adapt and learn, promoting cognitive flexibility.
- Volunteer and Stay Socially Active: Interacting with others through volunteering or participating in social activities helps keep our brains engaged. Social connections provide intellectual stimulation, emotional support, and opportunities for learning and growth.
- Mix Up Your Routine: Breaking out of your daily routine can challenge your brain. Try altering small aspects of your habits, such as taking a different route to work, rearranging your furniture, or changing the order in which you perform daily tasks.
- Adopt Technology: Technology offers a wealth of opportunities for brain exercises. Engage in brain-training apps and games designed to enhance cognitive skills, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving
What do you do to minimize your brain’s idleness and challenge it? Do you play Wordle with everybody you know every day? How about changing up a regular habit to stay active and increase your brainpower?
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