Tips For A Fit Brain
It's not just the body that benefits from regular exercise, the mind does too. Do some brain training, learn an instrument, try out the new 22Bet or immerse yourself in a foreign language. It keeps your mind fresh and is fun!
The idea of being mentally unfit in old age scares many people. But the good news is: the brain can be trained like a muscle. The more often you engage your mind, the more nerve cells connect in the brain and the fitter it becomes. So get going! These 10 simple exercises will keep your mind in top form:
1. memorize your shopping list
Whether it's shopping, to-dos or recipes: Lists are great for daily memory training. Write them down point by point and try to memorize everything. Leave the list lying around and let some time pass. Then try to list all the items on the list from memory. Alternate between different lists over time and keep incorporating new challenges into this exercise.
2. make music
Singing in a choir or learning to play a musical instrument is particularly good for your brain! Music promotes neuroplasticity and makes the brain more resilient. Reading music trains the memory and playing the piano, guitar or violin, for example, trains coordination, concentration and fine motor skills.
3. practise mental arithmetic
Add up the altitude of your hike in your head, the weight of all the ingredients in your Sunday cake or the sum of all the license plates you come across along the way. All this exercises your gray matter.
4. attend a cooking class
Cooking appeals to all the senses: smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch. This stimulates the different areas of the brain and encourages creative thinking.
5. learn a foreign language
When you hear or speak a language that is not your mother tongue, your brain gets into gear: your memory is stimulated and the risk of losing cognitive skills decreases. You don't even have to take a language course: just watch your favorite series or the next blockbuster movie in the original language.
6. juggle with words
Imagine a word. Can you see it in front of you? Now think of more and more words that begin with the same syllable. A real challenge for your concentration!
7. record your route
From now on, every time you return from a trip to a new place, record the route from memory. You'll be surprised how many things you remember!
8. bring out your taste buds!
During the meal, try to taste the different ingredients of the menu, including the herbs and spices. This trains your attention and your brain's ability to make new neural connections.
9. work with your hands
Find a hobby that challenges your manual and motor skills, for example knitting, painting, carving or jigsaw puzzles. This trains fine motor skills and coordination, but also promotes relaxation and mindfulness.
10. try out a new sport
Sports such as yoga, golf or tennis are particularly good for both body and brain. There is increasing evidence that physical activity can reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Difference between brain and memory training
Brain and memory training help us to stay mentally fit. These are two different areas of cognitive training: in memory training, as the name suggests, we primarily train our ability to remember. In brain training, on the other hand, we train all mental abilities such as concentration, speed, flexibility, logic, creativity and endurance. This promotes neuroplasticity, i.e. the brain's ability to form new neural connections.
Memory training is therefore comparable to fitness exercises with which we train a single, specific muscle. Brain training, on the other hand, is like fitness training that improves our overall performance.