Give your Brain a Good Work Out
Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Total Fitness Magazine 2011 issue
When we say brain workout, you’d actually think we’re talking about mind games like Soduko, chess and scrabble. We’re going way beyond the usual with these body workouts that have been proven to be good for the brain as well.
Work up a Sweat
Get ready to get physical! According to Dr. Ken Rockwood, a Geriatric Medicine professor, anything that is good for the heart is also good for the brain and aerobic exercise beats others in terms of brain health. The scientific director of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada seconded Rockwood’s claim by saying that regular exercise helps slow down and prevent Alzheimer’s.
Weightlifting Improves Brain Function
Researchers in British Columbia studied the effects of strength training among a group of women aged 65 to 75. A year later, these women showed a significant 10.9 to 12.6% increase in tests that target a specific part of the brain responsible for planning and execution. Their ability to focus, solve problems and make decisions have improved greatly compared to the group of women who did only toning exercises. To improve brain health, don’t be fixated on doing activities that are easy. For long term health benefits, add weights to your routine.
Keep learning.
Rockwood claims that the neurochemicals responsible for making a new memory help protect your old memories as well. In fact, continuous learning and discovery might just be your insurance policy to a long-term brain health as most experts agree. Learning is not limited to Masters and Doctorate Degrees. Reading is powerful intellectual stimuli and is the simplest way to learn new things.
Speak a New Language
Learning to speak a new language is a great exercise for the brain. In fact, the harder it is to master something, the brain will benefit from the efforts all the more. Pick up a language you’ve always wanted to learn. Repeat the conversational phrases over and over, taking note of the proper pronunciation. Once you’re able to speak the lines without correcting yourself mentally, it means your brain has succeeded in making new connections.
Make Mental Notes
Grocery shopping is a good physical and mental workout. Apart from all the walking, you’ll be doing, you get to exercise your brain too by leaving the grocery list at home. Before going out, make mental notes of all the things you need to buy. If you’re having trouble with memorization, you can also rely on word association. For example, you ran out of tomatoes yesterday for your tacos. Recall that moment and you’re most likely to remember that you need a sack full of fresh tomatoes.
Listen to your iPod
Why is it that songs are easier to memorize compared to a short speech with lesser words on it? Melody makes all the difference. Apart from the improvement of one’s memory skills, music is known to elicit a neural activity so powerful it can lead to the growth of neurons and your child’s inner genius. For instance, classical music can improve both sides of the brain simultaneously, resulting in the progress of concentration and learning skills.
Published in Total Fitness Magazine 2011 issue
Work up a Sweat
Get ready to get physical! According to Dr. Ken Rockwood, a Geriatric Medicine professor, anything that is good for the heart is also good for the brain and aerobic exercise beats others in terms of brain health. The scientific director of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada seconded Rockwood’s claim by saying that regular exercise helps slow down and prevent Alzheimer’s.
Weightlifting Improves Brain Function
Researchers in British Columbia studied the effects of strength training among a group of women aged 65 to 75. A year later, these women showed a significant 10.9 to 12.6% increase in tests that target a specific part of the brain responsible for planning and execution. Their ability to focus, solve problems and make decisions have improved greatly compared to the group of women who did only toning exercises. To improve brain health, don’t be fixated on doing activities that are easy. For long term health benefits, add weights to your routine.
Keep learning.
Rockwood claims that the neurochemicals responsible for making a new memory help protect your old memories as well. In fact, continuous learning and discovery might just be your insurance policy to a long-term brain health as most experts agree. Learning is not limited to Masters and Doctorate Degrees. Reading is powerful intellectual stimuli and is the simplest way to learn new things.
Speak a New Language
Learning to speak a new language is a great exercise for the brain. In fact, the harder it is to master something, the brain will benefit from the efforts all the more. Pick up a language you’ve always wanted to learn. Repeat the conversational phrases over and over, taking note of the proper pronunciation. Once you’re able to speak the lines without correcting yourself mentally, it means your brain has succeeded in making new connections.
Make Mental Notes
Grocery shopping is a good physical and mental workout. Apart from all the walking, you’ll be doing, you get to exercise your brain too by leaving the grocery list at home. Before going out, make mental notes of all the things you need to buy. If you’re having trouble with memorization, you can also rely on word association. For example, you ran out of tomatoes yesterday for your tacos. Recall that moment and you’re most likely to remember that you need a sack full of fresh tomatoes.
Listen to your iPod
Why is it that songs are easier to memorize compared to a short speech with lesser words on it? Melody makes all the difference. Apart from the improvement of one’s memory skills, music is known to elicit a neural activity so powerful it can lead to the growth of neurons and your child’s inner genius. For instance, classical music can improve both sides of the brain simultaneously, resulting in the progress of concentration and learning skills.
