As we grow, we not only need to keep our body healthy but our brain too. The brain gets plenty of exercise, but some activities may help boost the brain’s function and connectivity.
According to Medical News Today, certain activities may assist in protecting the brain from age-related degeneration.
Below are five brain exercises that may help boost memory, as well as cognition and creativity, outlined by Medical News Today.
Meditation
Meditation, typically involving focusing attention in a calm, controlled way, may have many benefits for both the body and the brain. Research suggests that this activity benefits the brain by slowing brain ageing and increasing the brain’s ability to process information, explains the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Completing jigsaw puzzles
According to a 2018 study, it was found that puzzles activate many cognitive functions, including mental rotation, perception, reasoning, and working memory. The study concluded that taking on jigsaw puzzles regularly and throughout one’s life may protect the brain from ageing effects.
Completing crossword puzzles is also a way to stimulate your brain.
Dancing
As dance is a form of exercise, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that exercise has beneficial effects on the below aspects of cognitive health:
- memory
- organisation
- planning
Learning a new set of skills
Taking up a brand new set of skills may help improve brain function, as well as engage the brain in different ways.
Learning a musical instrument
A 2014 study found that playing a musical instrument may benefit cognitive development in a young brain. The study also found that the activity also aids in protecting the brain against cognitive impairment in an ageing brain.
Also see: How to embrace change
