The brain powers everything we do — whether that's taking a walk, breathing, solving a problem, sleeping, or eating our favorite snack. As with any muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger its capabilities. Exercising the brain increases its ability to keep focus, improve memory, increase daily functionality, and reduce cognitive impairment.
This is not to say that the brain doesn't get exercise on its own. It gets quite a workout every day. However, certain activities exercise the brain in a way that strengthens neural pathways and creates new ones in readiness for a new challenge.
Does neuroplasticity ring a bell?
In short, it's the brain's ability to change and rewire itself in response to a new action through a network of neurons, neurotransmitters, and synapses. When you take up a new challenge, your brain creates new neural connections to accommodate the unfamiliar action and gain optimal success. We all want a healthy brain that's working at its best.
Brain exercises can help boost brain function, which increases productivity, improves physical health, and benefits our overall well-being.
This article will answer the question, "Why do you need brain exercise?" We'll also share some simple activities and brain games you can incorporate into your everyday life for better brain health.
If you would like to learn more about brain structure and brain function, we encourage you to read our Brain Basics: Beginner's Guide to Neuroscience series. It's in our free member's area.
What Are Brain Exercises?
Brain exercises are activities that engage and maintain cognitive abilities — the brain skills we require to complete the simplest to the most complex of tasks in our everyday lives.
Some exercises may be more attention-intense than others, depending on your innate preferences and personality type. For instance, a numbers person will probably not find sudoku and crossword puzzles as intense as a person who doesn't like numbers.
As we explore the different brain games and cognitive training activities, keep in mind that not all activities will appeal to you. But each activity has been chosen to help hone your mental sharpness, leading to improved brain health.
So, pick the ones you like best, but be bold and try others too. When you do things that are out of the ordinary, especially if it includes learning new skills, it taps multiple cognitive abilities and helps new brain cells develop.
Exercises for the brain can be classified into two broad categories — online and tactile brain exercises.
Dozens of online brain exercises offer imaginative exercises meant to improve overall functionality. Tactile games like jigsaw puzzles and memory card games can also provide numerous benefits, including boosting memory and problem-solving skills.
This article will focus primarily on activities you can do away from your computer or mobile phone. If you are looking for brain exercises that can be done online, check out our Brain Training Exercises!
Whichever brain training path you choose, the key is to find the optimal amount of challenge. If the brain exercise becomes too difficult, it may trigger stress. If it's less challenging, there may be too little to gain.
Benefits of Brain Exercises
We've mentioned a few of them earlier, but let's delve deeper into the benefits that brain exercises open up for you. Some of the top brain-boosting benefits of brain training and cognitive exercise include:
- Sharpening memory,
- Improving agility,
- Reducing cognitive decline, and
- Decreasing the risk of anxiety and depression.
Let’s take a closer look at why you should be exercising your brain regularly.
Sharpened Memory
Brain games and exercises test your memory through various challenges, sharpening specific skills that can deteriorate with age, such as short-term working memory and reaction time. Studies show that brain exercises can significantly improve memory functions and attention span.
Improved Agility
Mental agility is the ability to absorb information, think critically, and solve problems efficiently in unforeseen circumstances. When an opponent makes a chess move you've never seen, you must think critically and strategically to make a good comeback. You can't plan for every scenario at work or home. In the face of change and uncertainty, mental agility comes in handy.
Reduced Cognitive Decline
Cognitive decline is responsible for poor memory, decreased critical thinking capacity, and diminished ability to perform daily chores. Older adults with Alzheimer's and dementia tend to bear the brunt of cognitive decline. Still, they too can benefit from incorporating brain exercises that increase attention span and reaction — all of which promote better cognitive function.
Decreased Risk of Anxiety and Depression
One of the biggest benefits of exercise for the brain is the fun! Socializing, laughing, and participating in brain training activities steer the mind away from anxious and depressive thoughts. This applies to people of all ages and includes when you engage in solo activities that exercise your brain muscle. Now, imagine the long-term mental health benefits that individuals suffering from anxiety or depression stand to gain by incorporating simple video games into their weekly routine.
Improve Cognitive Skills with Brain Training Activities
Many experts suggest different brain exercises for the brain's unique functions. We'll harness this special knowledge to give you practical and fun activities that you can do in your everyday life to exercise your brain.
Brain Exercises for Memory
The following are some of the brain exercises you can do to boost your memory:
Memory Card Games - Research shows that card games can improve memory and critical thinking skills. Card games like poker with friends or solitaire if you don’t mind your company.
Playing Chess - Chess has been noted for its immense benefits in boosting memory and executive function even in older adults.
Crossword Puzzles - Regular crossword puzzle practice can help delay shrinkage in the hippocampus, which promotes enhanced thinking skills and may improve memory. Another study showed a delay in memory decline for individuals with preclinical dementia.
Learning a New Skill - Nothing makes a good challenge for the brain like learning a new skill. Take the case of an accountant learning landscape painting or a painter learning a new language. Such demanding learning experiences open up new synapses in the brain that enhance memory formation and other cognitive benefits.
Brain Exercises for Increased Attention
Psychologists at Harvard University discovered that people spent about 47% of their waking hours wandering. If you find yourself often thinking about what is not going on in the present, you need to know that your brain is excellent at keeping focus — albeit with a bit of consistent training.
Here are a few brain exercises that can help increase your attention span.
Start a New Hobby - Hobbies that require coordination and concentration can help reduce wandering, especially exercises that activate motor skills like knitting, drawing, painting, and embroidery.
Meditation - Meditation allows you to build the concentration you need to process information in a calm environment. About 10-15 minutes of meditation in the morning, on your commute, or during lunch break are enough to help keep your brain and memory healthy.
Observe Another Person - The next time you meet someone for coffee, observe three to four things about them. Maybe the color of their eyes or hair, what they are wearing, or the type of coffee they take. The next day, note down the observations in detail. See how much you can remember.
Mental Simulation - Visualizing a task or goal allows you to get clarity on the precise steps you need to take. Research has shown that continuous visualization practice makes the brain likelier to make better decisions.
Brain Exercises for Better Problem-Solving Skills
We all have to make decisions in life. But if you want to make timely and better decisions at home or work, engage the brain with the following activities. It will thank you when you need it most.
Playing Video Games - Video games that involve strategy, puzzles, or real-time action require players to manage resources, create plans, and consider the competition’s strategy simultaneously. All these video-gaming facets can lead to improved real-life problem-solving skills.
Reading - Reading may sound simple, but it is a problem-solving task in itself. It calls for effort, planning, concentration, and reflection — all of which compel the brain to ponder new perspectives and make critical decisions based on the new information.
Jigsaw Puzzles - Jigsaw puzzles require multiple cognitive abilities to help you look at the different pieces and fit them correctly in the larger picture. It's one of the best brain exercises known for reducing cognitive aging, challenging the brain, and improving critical thinking skills.
Playing Sudoku - The grid-based number game requires strategy and logic — critical problem-solving skills. A puzzle a day is a fun way to challenge your brain while improving your problem-solving skills.
Do you want to sharpen your brain? Take this quick IQ test and learn the areas that can benefit from self-improvement.
Brain Exercises to Reduce Stress and Depression
Brain exercises increase the brain's capacity to release negative emotions and open you up to new experiences that positively impact your mental health.
Here are a few of the exercises you can try out:
Regular Exercise - Besides engaging the body and brain, regular physical exercise boosts mood, memory, motor coordination, and alertness.
Embracing Tai Chi - Tai Chi is a form of slow body movements done in a continuous rhythmic fashion. Researchers have linked Tai Chi to better mental health and improved cognitive function and memory.
Dancing - Dancing reduces stress. It opens up new neural connections for better cognitive health in areas such as memory, planning, and balance.
Listening to Music - Research shows that music connects with almost all parts of the brain! Not only does music reduce stress, but it also improves cognitive skills. Music stimulates the production of new and beneficial neurons that keep degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease away.
Brain Exercises to Reduce Cognitive Decline
Maintaining cognitive function is key to a healthy life. Here are some of the best brain exercises to help preserve your cognitive health long into old age.
Board Games - Board games like checkers have been linked to improved cognitive function, especially among older adults at risk of dementia.
Engage in a Demanding Sport - Hone your cognitive functions by engaging in high-demand sports like swimming, fencing, and golf that require a range of skills to maintain focus, multitask, plan, adapt, and process information.
Socializing - Spending time with family and friends goes a long way in facilitating cognitive function. All the talks and laughs stimulate your attention and memory. Social contact can delay cognitive decline if sustainably incorporated into a daily routine.
Learning a Musical Instrument - As we pointed out, the brain is always ready to learn something new. According to researchers at the University of Alberta, learning a musical instrument enhances cognitive development in young brains and prevents cognitive decline in older adults.
Tap Into Brain Exercises for Improved Brain Health
The brain plays an important role in our daily life. Incorporating exercises that keep it in shape is beneficial for short and long-term health, especially in critical areas like cognitive function, memory, attention, and mental health.
Choose the exercise that balances challenge and gratification to get the best benefits. If one exercise becomes too familiar or easy, pick another one and keep going.
The list of ways you can exercise your brain never grows old!
