Cognitive brain exercises can actually protect against cognitive decline, according to The Franklin Institute. This is particularly important as you age, because cognitive decline is more prolific. Some of the best ways to exercise your brain are things that you can do every day without having to spend a lot of time or money. Simply by using a different hand for daily tasks, learning new activities and hobbies and changing your routines, you can give your brain a good daily workout.
Switching Hands
According to The Franklin Institute, you can give your brain a daily workout by using your less dominant hand to perform tasks such as brushing your teeth, using a television remote and dialing the phone. Using the hand that you normally don't use for writing strengthens existing neural connections, as well as creating new ones. It may feel awkward, but the act of learning a new skill will keep your brain engaged.
Learning
Picking up a new hobby or taking a class exercises the brain, particularly when it's something completely new to you. If you have never taken a yoga, dance or tai chi class in the past, doing so now will give your brain, as well as your body, a workout, advises The Franklin Institute. Concentrating on learning something keeps you more alert and focused, and people who keep learning into their senior years may stay sharper as they age than those who don't actively pursue new hobbies and interests.
Changing Routines
Changing your route to work, rearranging your furniture or reorganizing your desk may improve your attention. As you age, it is likely that your attention span will slowly decrease, making you more easily distracted and less focused. According to AskMen.com, adding multitasking to your daily activities may improve your attention, as well. Examples of this are doing math in your head while driving and listening to an audio-book while jogging.
