Exercise Your Brain to Keep Sharp

You’ve probably heard with regards to muscle tone and strength, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. That works for the brain too! With more time spent at home, perhaps you’ve utilized the time to better organize your house, purged papers, and either sold or donated items to declutter and simplify, what next? Research has found being isolated and not socializing as much, getting stuck in a routine or watching a lot of TV isn’t good for the brain. Consider too if you have aging parents, being isolated could be describing what their life is like even more. Just as we need to make the effort to keep our muscles in shape, we need to be conscientious about keeping our brain sharp. Here are some ideas on how to exercise the brain that is good for all ages!

• Read, Write, & Arithmetic Read aloud, try turning the material upside and reading it. Choose a favorite story and act out the parts. Write a letter to a family or friend and share how you are thankful for them, to an elected official on changes needed, thank a Veteran who is in the hospital, or send jokes to someone in senior living. Do math problems in your head.
• Use hands in new ways Use the non-dominant hand to eat, brush your teeth, write, draw. Eat with chopsticks. Learn the sign language alphabet and spell words. Have a sign language partner to spell words and tell them the word they spelled, or sentence they spelled.
• Play Games Think strategy or memory challenge like playing cards or board games with others.  Play memory games, like “I am going on a picnic and I am taking… (turn taking going thru the alphabet with each saying what was said before and adding the next alphabetical food item). When alone try Puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, or a brain exercise book.
• Move Do exercise classes. Take a dance class, the timing and coordination will stimulate the brain. There are online videos out there. What about an old fashion game of musical chairs, or the Hokey Pokey?
• Gain a hobby or skill It can be gardening, training a pet, playing a musical instrument, cooking, take up photography, sewing/knitting, or crafting. Buy a kit like a dollhouse or a grandfather clock to build. Learn a foreign language or sign language. Create art by drawing, painting, sculpting.
• Challenge the brain Recall things or rememorize them. Can you name the 50 states?  List their places on a blank map? Draw a map? Pick an area of interest to learn more about and teach another. Engage another in a friendly debate. Get a brain exercise app or an activity book.
• Nourish the Brain The brain benefits from a plant-based daily multi-Omega, leafy greens, berries, seeds & nuts (especially walnuts), avocado, and blueberries. There have been benefits shown by supplementing with B-12. Avoid sugar and alcohol.

Another means of taking care of our brain health is to minimize stress and strive to get good quality sleep. Try not to eat or drink after 7 PM for it interferes with restful sleep. Turn off TV and electronics by 9 PM and lights out around 10 PM. The hours of sleep before midnight are more valuable to helping get into REM sleep.

“Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive. 2 Chronicles 6:21

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