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Brain fitness has basic principles: variety and curiosity. When anything you do becomes second nature, you need to make a change. If you can do the crossword puzzle in your sleep, it’s time for you to move on to a new challenge in order to get the best workout for your brain. Curiosity about the world around you, how it works and how you can understand it will keep your brain working fast and efficiently. Use the ideas below to help attain your quest for mental fitness.
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Brain fitness programs and games are a wonderful way to tease andchallenge your brain. Suduko, crosswords and electronic games can all improve your brain’s speed and memory. These games rely on logic, word skills, math and more. These games are also fun.
2MeditationDaily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health. Meditation not only relaxes you, it gives your brain a workout. By creating a different mental state, you engage your brain in new and interesting ways while increasing your brain fitness.How to Meditate for Brain Health
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MeditationDaily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health. Meditation not only relaxes you, it gives your brain a workout. By creating a different mental state, you engage your brain in new and interesting ways while increasing your brain fitness.How to Meditate for Brain Health
Meditation
Daily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health. Meditation not only relaxes you, it gives your brain a workout. By creating a different mental state, you engage your brain in new and interesting ways while increasing your brain fitness.
How to Meditate for Brain Health
3Eat for Your BrainYour brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flax seed and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate transfats completely from your diet.
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Eat for Your BrainYour brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flax seed and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate transfats completely from your diet.
Eat for Your Brain
Your brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flax seed and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate transfats completely from your diet.
4Tell Good StoriesStories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events and share moments. Practice telling your stories, both new and old, so that they are interesting, compelling and fun. Some basic storytelling techniques will go a long way in keeping people’s interest both in you and in what you have to say.Anti-Aging Effects of Storytelling
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Tell Good StoriesStories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events and share moments. Practice telling your stories, both new and old, so that they are interesting, compelling and fun. Some basic storytelling techniques will go a long way in keeping people’s interest both in you and in what you have to say.Anti-Aging Effects of Storytelling
Tell Good Stories
Stories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events and share moments. Practice telling your stories, both new and old, so that they are interesting, compelling and fun. Some basic storytelling techniques will go a long way in keeping people’s interest both in you and in what you have to say.
Anti-Aging Effects of Storytelling
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Turn Off Your Television
What to Do When You Have No Motivation
6Exercise Your Body to Exercise Your BrainPhysical exercise isgreat brain exercisetoo. By moving your body, your brain has to learn new muscle skills, estimate distance and practice balance. Choose a variety of exercises to challenge your brain.
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Exercise Your Body to Exercise Your BrainPhysical exercise isgreat brain exercisetoo. By moving your body, your brain has to learn new muscle skills, estimate distance and practice balance. Choose a variety of exercises to challenge your brain.
Exercise Your Body to Exercise Your Brain
Physical exercise isgreat brain exercisetoo. By moving your body, your brain has to learn new muscle skills, estimate distance and practice balance. Choose a variety of exercises to challenge your brain.
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Read Something Different
10 Ways to Improve Your Brain Fitness
8Learn a New SkillLearning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an airplane out of toothpicks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.
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Learn a New SkillLearning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an airplane out of toothpicks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.
Learn a New Skill
Learning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an airplane out of toothpicks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.
9Make Simple ChangesWe love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ‘second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.What Is Cognitive Training and Does It Work?
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Make Simple ChangesWe love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ‘second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.What Is Cognitive Training and Does It Work?
Make Simple Changes
We love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ‘second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.
What Is Cognitive Training and Does It Work?
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Train Your Brain
Brain training is becoming a trend. There are formal courses, websites, and books with programs on how to train your brain to work better and faster. There is some research behind these programs, but the basic principles are memory, visualization, and reasoning. Work on these three concepts every day and your brain will be ready for anything.
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nouchi R, Taki Y, Takeuchi H, et al.Brain training game boosts executive functions, working memory and processing speed in the young adults: a randomized controlled trial.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(2):e55518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055518Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Dyall SC.Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA and DHA.Front Aging Neurosci. 2015;7:52. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00052Batini F, Toti G, Bartolucci M.Neuropsychological benefits of a narrative cognitive training program for people living with dementia: A pilot study.Dement Neuropsychol. 2016;10(2):127-133. doi: 10.1590/S1980-5764-2016DN1002008Paulus MP, Squeglia LM, Bagot K, et al.Screen media activity and brain structure in youth: Evidence for diverse structural correlation networks from the ABCD study.Neuroimage. 2019;185:140-153. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.040Di liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di liegro I.Physical Activity and Brain Health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9). doi: 10.3390/genes10090720National Institute on Aging.Cognitive Health and Older Adults.National Institute on Aging.What is brain health? Engage your brain: Discover a new talent.Khalsa DS, Perry G.The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention.Cerebrum. 2017.Rebok GW, Ball K, Guey LT, et al.Ten-year effects of the advanced cognitive training for independent and vital elderly cognitive training trial on cognition and everyday functioning in older adults.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(1):16-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12607
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nouchi R, Taki Y, Takeuchi H, et al.Brain training game boosts executive functions, working memory and processing speed in the young adults: a randomized controlled trial.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(2):e55518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055518Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Dyall SC.Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA and DHA.Front Aging Neurosci. 2015;7:52. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00052Batini F, Toti G, Bartolucci M.Neuropsychological benefits of a narrative cognitive training program for people living with dementia: A pilot study.Dement Neuropsychol. 2016;10(2):127-133. doi: 10.1590/S1980-5764-2016DN1002008Paulus MP, Squeglia LM, Bagot K, et al.Screen media activity and brain structure in youth: Evidence for diverse structural correlation networks from the ABCD study.Neuroimage. 2019;185:140-153. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.040Di liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di liegro I.Physical Activity and Brain Health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9). doi: 10.3390/genes10090720National Institute on Aging.Cognitive Health and Older Adults.National Institute on Aging.What is brain health? Engage your brain: Discover a new talent.Khalsa DS, Perry G.The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention.Cerebrum. 2017.Rebok GW, Ball K, Guey LT, et al.Ten-year effects of the advanced cognitive training for independent and vital elderly cognitive training trial on cognition and everyday functioning in older adults.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(1):16-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12607
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nouchi R, Taki Y, Takeuchi H, et al.Brain training game boosts executive functions, working memory and processing speed in the young adults: a randomized controlled trial.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(2):e55518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055518Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006Dyall SC.Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA and DHA.Front Aging Neurosci. 2015;7:52. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00052Batini F, Toti G, Bartolucci M.Neuropsychological benefits of a narrative cognitive training program for people living with dementia: A pilot study.Dement Neuropsychol. 2016;10(2):127-133. doi: 10.1590/S1980-5764-2016DN1002008Paulus MP, Squeglia LM, Bagot K, et al.Screen media activity and brain structure in youth: Evidence for diverse structural correlation networks from the ABCD study.Neuroimage. 2019;185:140-153. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.040Di liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di liegro I.Physical Activity and Brain Health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9). doi: 10.3390/genes10090720National Institute on Aging.Cognitive Health and Older Adults.National Institute on Aging.What is brain health? Engage your brain: Discover a new talent.Khalsa DS, Perry G.The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention.Cerebrum. 2017.Rebok GW, Ball K, Guey LT, et al.Ten-year effects of the advanced cognitive training for independent and vital elderly cognitive training trial on cognition and everyday functioning in older adults.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(1):16-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12607
Nouchi R, Taki Y, Takeuchi H, et al.Brain training game boosts executive functions, working memory and processing speed in the young adults: a randomized controlled trial.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(2):e55518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055518
Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density.Psychiatry Res. 2011;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006
Dyall SC.Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA and DHA.Front Aging Neurosci. 2015;7:52. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00052
Batini F, Toti G, Bartolucci M.Neuropsychological benefits of a narrative cognitive training program for people living with dementia: A pilot study.Dement Neuropsychol. 2016;10(2):127-133. doi: 10.1590/S1980-5764-2016DN1002008
Paulus MP, Squeglia LM, Bagot K, et al.Screen media activity and brain structure in youth: Evidence for diverse structural correlation networks from the ABCD study.Neuroimage. 2019;185:140-153. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.040
Di liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di liegro I.Physical Activity and Brain Health.Genes (Basel). 2019;10(9). doi: 10.3390/genes10090720
National Institute on Aging.Cognitive Health and Older Adults.
National Institute on Aging.What is brain health? Engage your brain: Discover a new talent.
Khalsa DS, Perry G.The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention.Cerebrum. 2017.
Rebok GW, Ball K, Guey LT, et al.Ten-year effects of the advanced cognitive training for independent and vital elderly cognitive training trial on cognition and everyday functioning in older adults.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(1):16-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12607
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