Many factors can influence your brain’s ability to function properly. Most of us have gone through periods in our lives where we forget things or find it difficult to function. Factors responsible could include psychological stress, not getting enough sleep, the aging process, and even your lifestyle. However, we may improve cognitive function, problem-solving abilities, and memory by doing a few brain exercises.
Many of these brain exercises can help jumpstart your brain when you feel sluggish or foggy. Many also focus on helping you engage with others, learn new things, and increase your overall health and activity levels.
Most people only speak one language. Yet speaking more than one language may have many benefits.3 This is especially true for older adults, where speaking at least two languages may help slow mental decline.
Learning a new language may help improve your memory, promote creativity, and even improve your visual-spatial skills.
Card games like gin rummy, bridge, poker, solitaire, and crazy eights provide mental stimulation and may increase brain volume. They could also improve your memory and thinking skills.4 Many of these card games also promote social interaction with other people.
There is nothing like the learning process to get your synapses firing. Learning new skills can also help to improve memory as you age. Furthermore, learning new skills may involve developing fine motor skills that promote better hand-eye coordination. Think about playing video games, knitting, painting, drawing, or taking tai chi. Or how about promoting a healthier diet by taking a cooking class? These new skills involve solving complex problems like multi-tasking, organizing, and planning. If you want to take up a new skill, go for it. It is never too late to learn.
Most of us know that music influences our mood. When we listen to calm music, we tend to feel calmer. When we listen to something upbeat, our mood lifts. You may even get up and dance. Music tends to have a positive effect on brain function. Of course, sad music may also result in our mood diving. Playing a musical instrument is another new skill that could help boost your brain function. Not only will learning the new skill force your brain to work, but it could improve hand-eye coordination as well.
Learn to dance if you want to hit two birds with one stone. Dancing is great for a full-body workout, and it is great fun. Learning to dance means learning new moves involving brain processing and memory. So, learn to waltz, tap, or salsa. Your body and brain will both love you for it. And how about trying a jazz exercise class for the more energetic amongst us? The extra sweat may be well worth it. As with all types of exercise, please remember that you should not overdo it. It may be best to focus on gentle exercises if your body is dealing with stress or other health problems.
If you have a few skills that you can teach others, sharing them could help boost your mental health. You must explain different concepts and help people correct mistakes when teaching others. Teaching your daughter or friend to knit or teaching someone how to hold a golf club while taking a swing are good examples.
Try figuring out math problems without a calculator. A good place to start is when buying groceries. See if you can mentally calculate your bill.
If math is not your thing, you can try Sudoku, a numbers game that does not rely on adding numbers. This game relies on logic and reasoning instead.
Go for a walk around your neighborhood, and then try to draw a map from memory. Add places and features that stand out, like a big tree or a house with a large dog. Then, take it further and try to draw maps from memory of your town or city. Memorizing streets and places may permanently improve brain structure and thus improve cognitive function.
Meditation is an often-studied brain exercise that calms the mind and allows us to focus better.5 Amongst its benefits we can include:
Have you ever thought someone was smart simply by listening to them speak? These people use words we do not use in our everyday language. Yet learning new words could become one of the most fun brain exercises you do. It starts with learning one new word a day.
So, you can grab a dictionary and start using a new word daily or keep a notebook in your pocket and jot down an unfamiliar word when you hear it. Then, look up its definition and see if you can use it five or more times while talking the next day. Not only will you learn new words, but it will also help improve your brain function.
Doing jigsaw puzzles is probably one of the easiest brain exercises out there. Whether you take on a puzzle of 500 pieces or one with a thousand pieces, the benefit is the same. Doing jigsaw puzzles may improve your visuospatial cognitive abilities.6 These involve your mental speed, flexibility, reasoning, perception, working memory, and episodic memory, amongst others.
Chess is a two-person game you can play with another person or online. It improves cognitive function on various levels. A game of strategy, chess may improve your concentration, fluid intelligence, and working memory.
If you have never played this game, try learning it as a new skill.
A healthy brain relies on more than just doing brain exercises. You should consider a whole-body approach to improving your brain health.
A healthy diet should give your brain the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, even during times of stress. This means you should consume a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats. Certain foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins can be particularly helpful in supporting your brain health and mental function. Consider following a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, or the MIND diet, as all three are commonly recommended for improving mental function.
There are a lot of brain foods. Examples include:
Make time for your family and friends. This is especially important as you get older. Close social ties with other helps to reduce stress, exercise your mind, keep you active, and improve your cognitive function. You could even share activities that count as brain exercises, like puzzles or learning a new instrument, with friends and family!
Your body (including your brain) heals while you sleep. Your brain goes through various states while you sleep that play an important role in memory, your ability to learn, and cognitive processes. Research indicates that not getting enough sleep could harm your cognitive processing ability.1 Your brain also eliminates any toxic buildup from your day while you sleep.
Physical exercise may benefit your brain’s cognitive function and protect against neurodegeneration.2 But this does not have to be strenuous exercise. Moderate exercise that works up a light sweat is perfect. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, tai chi, yoga, and Pilates. Lightweight training is also a good example.
Stress, particularly chronic, can have an outsized impact on your health and brain function, so taking steps to reduce it can be essential to supporting your brain health.
The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response is your body’s inbuilt mechanism to handle stress. The NEM comprises six circuits of related organs and systems that work together to address stress. The Neuroaffect Circuit, which includes your brain, autonomic nervous system, and microbiome, shows how stress connects to brain health.
Stress affects brain function because of long-term exposure to increased stress hormones. These hormones affect the parts of the brain that regulate your cognitive function and emotions. You may, for example, experience learning difficulties, become forgetful, or experience mood changes.
The disparity in hormones results from prolonged exposure to stress and increased cortisol production in the adrenal glands. When the body focuses on increased production of only certain hormones due to a fight or flight response triggered in response to stress, you may experience a decrease in other hormones. This could, in time, result in various health issues, including brain function issues.
Stress can also promote a leaky gut. This immune response is associated with high levels of inflammation and an imbalance in your microbiome. Constant inflammation increases the stress on your body, which could further affect your brain health.
And let us not forget the effect of stress on your autonomic nervous system. This system regulates your involuntary physiological processes, i.e., body functions you have no control over. These include your digestion, respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate. Prolonged stress could cause disruptions in all of these and, thus, ultimately, also impact brain function.
Brain Trust is an advanced dietary supplement engineered to nurture and enhance brain function, offering many benefits for cerebral health. It incorporates a unique blend of ingredients, each chosen for its proven effects on cognitive performance and neural protection. Huperzine A and RoseOx® are at the forefront, providing neuroprotective and antioxidant benefits that help shield the brain from oxidative stress and promote overall brain health.
Additionally, Ginkgo Biloba is included for its ability to support memory and concentration by improving blood flow to the brain, alongside its antioxidant properties. Phosphatidyl Serine is critical in cell cycle signaling and apoptosis, essential for maintaining healthy brain cell function. L-glutamine and Choline, derived from Choline Bitartrate, act as precursors for neurotransmitters, vital for cognitive functions such as learning and memory.
Together with other components like Gotu Kola, Brain Trust creates a synergistic effect that enhances memory, cognitive abilities, and overall brain performance. By taking just 1 capsule 1 to 2 times daily, users can unlock their full intellectual potential and elevate their cognitive vitality, making Brain Trust a powerful ally in the pursuit of optimal brain health and function.
The brain is a very complex organ. It is responsible for every voluntary or involuntary action carried out by our body. Taking care of it can help you protect your quality of life as you age. However, this means taking an approach that focuses on brain health and total body health.
If you want to know more about brain exercises to optimize your cognitive function, the team at Dr Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234.
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Deak, Maryann C., and Robert Stickgold. “Sleep and Cognition.” WIREs Cognitive Science, vol. 1, no. 4, Wiley, Feb. 2010, pp. 491–500. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.52
Mandolesi, Laura, et al. “Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 9, 27 Apr. 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509
Anderson, John A. E., et al. “Effects of Bilingualism on White Matter Integrity in Older Adults.” NeuroImage, vol. 143–150, 1 Feb. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.038
Wang, Jin, et al. “Association of Playing Cards or Mahjong With Cognitive Function in Chinese Older Adults.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 9249, no. 15, 28 July 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159249
Behan, Caragh. “The Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness Practices During Times of Crisis Such as COVID-19.” Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, vol. 256–258, no. 4, 14 May 2020, https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2020.38
While brain exercises may improve brain function, they may not improve adrenal health. Following a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and maintaining and active social life, however, may help improve adrenal function and also have benefits for your brain.
