Many people focus on exercising their bodies to stay healthy and fit, neglecting the importance of brain exercises to keep it active and boost their memory. While physical activity has a strong effect on the brain, there are specific exercises you can follow for a healthier, long term memory.
1- TRY TO RECALL AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE:
When you make a list for grocery shopping or things to do, try to memorize it and see how many items you can remember from it, an hour later. Try to make the things on the list challenging for a better mental stimulation. You can also try to memorize small poems with a little advanced words and see how long you can remember them.
2- MAKE MUSIC A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE:
Studies have shown that music has a big impact on your memory. Learning a new instrument is considered a new and complex task for your brain if done for a long period of time. Therefore, do not miss the opportunity of learning a new instrument or joining a chorus.
3- DO THE CALCULATIONS IN YOUR MIND:
Instead of using your phone’s calculator to calculate every simple task, take a few more minutes and try to do it in your head. This can be extra helpful if you also try walking at the same time.
4- LEARN HOW TO COOK
In order to be a good cook, you need to use most of your senses: sight to pick the best ingredients, smell to make sure the process is going right, touch to transform the food the right way, and taste to confirm that your recipe has succeeded. Activating all these senses means involving different parts of your brain in this process.
5- LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Learning a new language has almost the same effect on your brain as music. Listening to new words and trying to familiarize your brain to them, activates your memory. Also, acquiring a varied vocabulary reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
6- CREATE AN IMAGE FOR WORDS
When learning a new word, or remembering a special one, try to link it with an image in your head. You can also try to think of other words that are similar in pronunciation or meaning. This will command your memory to think of old acquired words, and to store new images and synonyms.
7- THINK OF THE ROAD MAP BEFORE LEAVING YOUR DESTINATION
Try to visualize the roads you will take to your next destination, thinking of the main roads you will take to make it there. Recalling these information visually, helps keep your memory active.
8- GUESS THE INGREDIENTS IN YOUR FOOD
What is that spice in your meat? Try to identify with the different tastes and ingredients that are in your food. This will activate your senses and thus, your brain and memory.
9- ACTIVATE YOUR SKILLS
Hobbies help triggering skills you don’t know you have. Adopt a hobby that coordinates between your hands and eyes, such as knitting or painting.
10- START A NEW SPORT
Some sports employ both your mind and body, so why not enroll in a yoga class or golf courses?
