Sharpen your mental skills by practicing a new and challenging activity is a good bet for building and maintaining cognitive skills.
Our brains are one of the most complex organs in our body. And the more we understand how they work, the better we can be at learning and memorizing new information.
Everyone occasionally loses their keys or forgets an important date. But when it’s a habit, you may be dealing with poor working memory. You can control your level of intelligence, your ability to make smart decisions, your ability to learn, retain and use what you learn.
A new study found that six to ten minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can improve your working memory and significantly improve higher-level cognitive skills like organization, prioritization, and planning.
- Moderate exertion – fast walking, slow jogging, or any activity that, while it’s not easy, still allows you to carry on a conversation.
- Vigorous exertion – cycling, swimming, workouts, fast jogging, etc.
Memory loss: 7 tips to improve your memory
- Be physically active every day.
- Stay mentally active.
- Spend time with others.
- Stay organized.
- Sleep well.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Manage chronic health problems.
Health experts recommend sticking to brain training that involves real-world activities. Drive home via a different route. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. The brain works through associations, [which is why it’s easier to memorize lyrics than it is to try to remember the same words without music], so the more senses you involve, the better.
Brain exercises
- test you memory (ie: the grocery list)
- learn to play an instrument
- do math in your head
- take a cooking class
- learn a foreign language
- draw a map from memory
- taste test new foods – challenge your taste buds
- learn a new sport
As with nearly everything in life, doing the right things over and over is the surest path to success. Especially of the success you desire involves getting – and staying a little smarter.
The old adage ‘use it or lose it’ applies not only to our physical health but also to our cognitive health.
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