Brain exercises are considered to be any activity that provides mental stimulation. According to the Center for Disease Control, these exercises protect against decline in cognitive ability. Most memory or motor skill loss that occurs with age results from mental inactivity and lack of mental stimulation. Brain exercises do not need to be complicated or time consuming. Before you get out of bed in the morning, exercise your brain by wiggling all of your toes up and down repeatedly. By simply wiggling your toes, you activate nerves that stimulate your brain and internal organs.
Cognitive Function
The human mind retains endless amounts of information and is developing skills throughout life. The brain can continue to grow and improve and is never limited due to age as long as it is being exercised. Cognitive abilities include the potential to live a meaningful life, language, memory, thinking, perception, life skills, judgment and attention skills. Cognitive health can be viewed as a continuum ranging from high functioning to mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia.
Mind Improves Physical Strength
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation performed a study that used imagination to strengthen the mind. The study was conducted over 12 weeks for five minutes per day, five days per week. Thirty young adults imagined moving their little fingers or bending their elbow, to make the imaginary movement as real as they could. When the study was completed, brain scans of the participants showed greater and more focused activity in the prefrontal cortex than before. Strength gains were concluded to show improvements in the brain's ability to signal muscle. Pinky muscle strength was increased by 35 percent and elbow strength was increased by 13.4 percent.
Use Your Senses
Neurobics is a group of brain exercises that utilize all five senses as well as the emotional sense and was developed by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center. These exercises can help achieve a fit and flexible mind by activating underused nerve pathways and connections. Neurobics includes one or more senses in everyday tasks such as closing your eyes when you wash your hair or get dressed. Another exercise is to share a meal without talking and use only visual cues. Another exercise is to combine two senses in activities. You can listen to music while smelling flowers or tap your fingers while you listen to music. Neurobics exercise involves breaking routines like eating with your opposite hand or shopping at a new grocery store.
Activity Works Wonders
Dr. Amir Soas, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, says that the mind is kept healthy by, "anything that stimulates the brain to think." Limit television watching because your brain goes into neutral and does not get adequate stimulation. Reading, however, exercises the brain. Crossword puzzles and scrabble are two activities that involve thought and mind stimulation. Learning to speak a foreign language is another activity that involves thought and brain activity.
