Like the rest of your body, your brain depends on the oxygen and glucose in your bloodstream to function properly. There are a number of ways you can improve your circulation and make sure that blood is flowing all the way to the top of your head–no equipment or special skills required.
Step 1
Go for a walk. Walking is great exercise for your brain as well as your body, says the Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning, which promotes education in science and technology. This is because it increases your breathing and heart rate and gets the blood pumping around your body, but isn’t so strenuous that your body concentrates the blood flow to your leg muscles, as it does when you run, for example. It means that when you walk, your brain gets its fair share of the oxygen and glucose that are carried in the bloodstream and are vital for the healthy functioning of your brain.
Step 2
Boost your omega-3s. Eat two servings of fish, such as salmon or mackerel, a week for optimum brain health, says MedicineNet.com, an online source of health and medical information, produced by 70 U.S. board-certified physicians. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is linked to a lower risk of dementia and stroke, can slow mental decline and may play a vital role in enhancing memory, according to MedicineNet.com. This is because omega-3s help to widen your arteries, veins and capillaries and, therefore, increase blood flow to all parts of your body.
Step 3
Breathe deeply. According to Holistic Online, a website for alternative and integrative medicine, oxygen purifies the bloodstream and is vital for mental alertness. The more air we breathe in, the more oxygen there is in our blood and, therefore, in the brain. Try to maintain good posture, as slouching can reduce your lung capacity and could mean you take shorter, less oxygen-charged breaths.
