Expanding Your Brain With These Proven Activities

As we get older, many people become concerned with keeping their mind as sharp and healthy as possible. While this decline is unavoidable, there are certainly some ways you can keep training your brain to keep it functioning well into your later years. Besides maintenance things like eating a proper diet, sleeping well, and managing your stress, it’s also good to enjoy some activities that have brain expanding properties. Let’s take a look at some great examples of these beneficial activities.

Learn a New Language

The golden rule to keeping your brain healthy is to participate in activities that challenge you. One of the most commonly suggested activities for healthy brain function is to learn a new language. The parts of your brain that are associated with speech are powerful sectors that need to be regularly exercised. Learning a new language will help with your thinking skills and memory and you will get the chance to learn about a new culture as well.

Card Games

While many people may be familiar with the general rules and playstyle of famous card games, they are unaware of the potential mental benefits they bring. When you are playing hands of mentally stimulating blackjack online, you are simultaneously training your brain to solve mathematical problems and crunch the potential odds. It also works to expand your memory as tables of potential hands are very important in card games. The deeper you get into the world of card games, the more you will realize that there are some very challenging mechanics involved.

Physical Fitness

It’s an accepted fact that keeping your body healthy will also keep your mind going strong. You will certainly never regret the time and energy you spend keeping your body in top shape, and many people are pushing towards a healthy lifestyle in the modern age. The best part is, you can choose any activity you enjoy, from running, to weight lifting, even dancing. All of these activities are guaranteed to get your blood flowing and oxygen moving to your brain, ultimately aiding in increased focus and problem solving abilities.

Puzzles

Of course if you are looking for a mind building activity, what could be better than puzzles? These enjoyable games are designed to get your logic processing activated in your brain. Each different type of puzzle has its own additional benefits, and it’s worth it to consider which you like more and which will deliver the benefits you are interested in. For instance, crosswords will help you build your vocabulary, and classic games like clue will also help to expand your imagination and creativity. Sudoku is great for pure logic concentration and Tetris is known for bolstering your spatial perception, something that is applicable to other games like chess. Most importantly, puzzles will challenge you and keep your brain working to the best of its ability.

Using Your Non-Dominant Hand

Here is a unique way to provide yourself a real challenge that you probably had never considered before, take the time to practice writing and drawing with your non-dominant hand. Studies have shown that this dramatically increases brain activity as well as your hand-eye coordination. You can even practice with simpler tasks like using your non-dominant hand while eating. Neurobiologist Lawrence Katz suggests this as well as many other exercises in his book Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness.

Meditation

Meditation is much more than just a stress management and relaxation exercise. In recent years, numerous studies have emerged correlating meditation with healthy brain function. On the surface, there are numerous conclusions we can draw. Sure, meditation helps you to relax and clear your mind as well as reducing anxiety. Automatically this will help your brain process information and work better in the long run. However, there are more interesting benefits that were previously unknown.

By practicing meditation regularly, you are effectively altering your brain’s gray matter. This is the area of the brain that is responsible for muscle control, your senses, memory, and emotions and is directly connected to your nervous system overall, meaning it has a large effect on your body’s function. This seemingly simple activity can play a huge role in your brain’s long term health.