Do you ever find yourself walking into a room and you cannot recall why you where there in the first place? Do you have difficulty remembering familiar faces and names? We all have at one time or another experienced episodes of forgetfulness; however, if these episodes occur on a consistent basis then it may be time to better your memory by exercising your brain!
Your brain is an organ that we utilize to make decisions, to interpret ideas and thoughts as well as to remember past events or tasks to be completed in the future. Just like other organs and muscles within our bodies, we must train them and challenge them to enhance efficiency and function. A combination of mental exercises and physical activity may assist you in cognitive abilities.
Mental exercises are utilized to improve your memory and to decrease the likelihood of cognitive decline. Cognitive decline is related to certain diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Training all of your muscles from head to toe, including your brain, is imperative for optimal health and productivity.
Physical activity is an additional component in efforts to decrease or delay the onset of cognitive decline. Taking part in exercise can assist with the development of new cells, which improves your function of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the main part of your brain that helps you to retain information and to be able to comprehend new information. Taking part in 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise provides multiple benefits to the body beyond the development and improvement of cognitive function. These 30 minutes can be broken down into 10 minutes bouts or 15 minute bouts to better accommodate your lifestyle. Aerobic exercise can be completed by gardening, walking or even marching in your chair!
Keeping your brain trained and up-to-par will help keep you in great health for years to come. Try these everyday tips that may assist you in improving or maintaining your brainpower:
Eat dark chocolate! When eating dark chocolate, not only does it taste great and is a nice treat,but studies have shown that it provides multiple health benefits, such as activating those areas of the brain that enable one’s ability to learn and memorize.
Turn down the volume! When watching television or listening to the radio, keep the volume at a comfortable level. Decrease the volume over time and see if you can still follow and listen to the programs. Taking this time to match your volume of your television or radio with your own conversational level or tone may allow you to better retain your ability to listen as well as understand what others are saying.
Get a great night’s rest! Take a moment and think of your body as a battery. At night, as we sleep we are recharging our bodies and simply storing our energy that we will be utilizing throughout the day. Research studies have proven that our brains consolidate information during the hours we sleep.
So take charge and challenge yourself today! Challenge yourself by working on puzzles of all kinds, learning a new language or try to use your opposite hand. Creating these obstacles for your brain and body to overcome will allow you to develop strategies and to grow your mental capacity at large.
