Neurobics

And-a one, and-a two, keep it up, sweat it out!

This is the brain version of exercise routines. But in stead of trying to increase the aerobic capacity of your lungs, in stead of wearing sweat bands and following the spandex’d, bouncy leader at the front of the room, you are working out the sags and in your wrinkled gray matter.

These are simple, easy, and fun exercises that keep you sharp by actually exercising your brain!

Examples Of Neurobics
Spend time in a new environment.
Go to a new park, or a new store. Travel, by the way, seems to slow age-related mental decline.

Smell new odors in the morning.
Have new odors, like a bottle of mint extract ready to smell first thing in the morning, to “wake up” your brain.

Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand.
This is difficult for some of us, and requires full attention the first time you try it.

Learn to read braille (or any other language).
This is a tough one, but learning to read with your fingers definitely involves one of your senses in a new context.

Respond to a situation differently.
Catch yourself in a normal and mostly unconscious response to a situation, and choose to respond in a different (and preferably better) way.

Find a new route to work.
It doesn’t have to be a longer route – just different. You may even find a faster way to work once you break your routine.

Act confidently.
In a situation you are unsure about, choose to act confidently. You’ll notice that your mind gets very active once you adopt the assumption that you will know what to do.

Distinguish coins using only your sense of touch.
This brain exercise can be a way to kill time when waiting for an appointment. If you really want a challenge, see if you can distinguish paper currency denominations by touch.

Leave the lights off in the house.
Get around your home by memory and feel. This certainly fully engages your attention, but be careful of course.

Have some fun with these brain exercises – having fun usually fully engages your attention to boot!!