Brain gymnastics, or neurobics, refers to a type of exercise performed with the purpose of developing and strengthening the brain’s capacities. The idea is to stimulate the brain through different exercises to help keep it healthy.
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In general, this type of brain gymnastics exercises focuses on memory, attention, concentration, reasoning, and creativity, although they can address many more areas. When practiced regularly, brain gymnastics helps to strengthen neuronal connections and improve the brain’s neuroplasticity.
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According to Harvard Medical School, brain gymnastics involves a large number of activities and lifestyle changes. Therefore, most training programs to strengthen the brain include physical activities, cognitive training, nutrition plans, and meditation techniques.
The keys
• Brain gymnastics exercises offer benefits for strengthening the brain and developing people’s cognitive skills.
• These benefits are related to concentration, memory, learning, and logical reasoning.
• In addition, mental gymnastics also has a positive impact on mental and emotional health, so it can be used for a very wide variety of purposes.
We share with you 10 brain gym exercises that you can incorporate into your daily routine, as they are very simple activities that fit perfectly into any environment:
10 TIPS
1. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand: Using the opposite side from the usual one to perform daily activities such as writing or brushing your teeth are exercises of brain gymnastics that help to rapidly expand the parts of the cortex that control hand information.
2. Associate new smells and do brain gymnastics: When you wake up, sniff a scent that you really like. You can buy bottles or have your favorite flower on your nightstand to be the first thing you smell. It’s a refreshing way to stimulate new neural pathways.
3. Appreciate the road: While you’re driving, alert your senses to create memories, which is a simple exercise in brain fitness. And do simple exercises in brain fitness, such as rolling down the window so you can appreciate the smells, sounds and colors more. Your hippocampus will thank you.
4. Scan in the supermarket: Take your time and stroll through all the aisles of the supermarket, but make sure to stop and look at each of the products there. It’s not about buying everything you see, but you’re sure to find things you’ve never seen before. Don’t forget to read what they are used for or what they contain.
5. Engage in a new and different activity: Break out of your routine and enroll in an art class or buy yourself some brushes. Art helps to activate the nonverbal and emotional parts of the cerebral cortex. Mandalas are also a good option.
6. Be More Sociable as a Brain Gym Exercise: It has been proven that not socializing develops negative effects on cognitive abilities. When you go to a café or restaurant, smile and greet the barista or the person next to you. By doing this exercise, you will be able to meet incredible people and benefit your brain.
7. Read Aloud: Change a little and read aloud as a form of brain gymnastics, whether to a partner or in a book club. When you read aloud, you use different brain circuits than those activated when reading silently.
8. Try different foods: It’s time to take a risk and try a new food. Maybe the texture, smell, or color doesn’t appeal to you, but its taste might just turn it into your favorite dish. Additionally, you’ll activate receptor combinations on your tongue.
9. Learn new words: Activate your brain by increasing your knowledge. It’s easy, just open a dictionary every day or every other day, choose the word you want, and learn its meaning. Can you imagine how many new words you’ll learn in a month or a year?
10. Play “10 Things”: Imagination is everything, so have some fun for a while with this activity that will strengthen your brain. The idea is to choose an object and find 10 functions or things it could be. For example: a makeup brush could be a broom, a microphone, etcetera.