Exercising the brain is as important as exercising any other area of the body, especially for those heading into their golden years, the Franklin Institute says. Mental exercise helps maintain cognitive abilities and function, and it creates new synapses, or information highways, in many people who have decreased brain function caused by injury or disease processes. Contrary to popular opinion, the brain doesn't die as we age, but it grows rusty from lack of exercise and activity. You can help prevent loss of memory, reasoning capabilities and other brain functions with regular exercise, games and activities that keep your brain active and engaged.
Opposites Attract
Try using your non-dominate hand for short periods, the Franklin Institute suggests. Try to write, draw, use a computer mouse or even brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. You might feel slow, awkward and uncoordinated, but this is normal because you're using a different part of the brain to perform these functions. This is an ideal way to force your brain to adapt and build new neural pathways.
Brain Games
Brain games are excellent exercises for enhancing memory, problem-solving, focus and spatial reasoning. Games such as those offered by Lumosity or FitBrains are fun and easy ways to keep the brain active and learning new things. Math games such as Sudoku also are good for reasoning, and puzzles and riddles help with thinking and processing.
Tackle New Subjects
Exercise your brain by challenging it to learn something new, the Mayo Clinic suggests. Games that improve cognition can help prevent cognitive impairment, says Dr. Yonas Geda, a Mayo Clinic neuro-psychiatrist. Playing games, reading, computer activities and learning a new craft or language offered 30 percent to 50 percent decrease in mild cognitive impairment in a study conducted by Geda and presented to the American Academy of Neurology's Annual Meeting.
Computer Exercises
Computer use can help seniors exercise their brains and increase or maintain brain function in fun and engaging ways, Science Daily says. Such activities can help improve memory and also increase reasoning and thinking speed. Computer-based, brain-training games such as math quizzes, matching games such as mahjong and memory games provide exercise for senior brains that generally is not addressed in daily environments. Computer exercise also provides entertainment and offers new methods for the brain to make logical choices and decisions, firing up synapses that have lain dormant for long periods and increasing rational thought and processing speed.
