Tips and Exercises to Sharpen Your Mind and Boost Brainpower
A
strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether
you're a student studying for final exams, a working professional
interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior
looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there are
lots of things you can do to improve your memory and mental performance.
4 Key of a good brain-boosting activity........
- It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something that’s unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills.
- It’s challenging. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It’s not enough that you found the activity challenging at one point. It must still be something that requires mental effort. For example, learning to play a challenging new piece of music counts. Playing a difficult piece you’ve already memorized does not.
- It’s a skill you can build on. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to stretch your capabilities. When a previously difficult level starts to feel comfortable, that means it’s time to tackle the next level of performance.
- It’s rewarding. Rewards support the brain’s learning process. The more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll be to continue doing it and the greater the benefits you’ll experience. So choose activities that, while challenging, are still enjoyable and satisfying...
Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills.
There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active.
Big ones include reducing the odds of developing heart disease, stroke,
and diabetes. Maybe you want to lose weight, lower your blood pressure,
prevent depression, or just look better. Here’s another one, which
especially applies to those of us (including me) experiencing the brain
fog that comes with age: exercise changes the brain in ways that protect
memory and thinking skills.
In a study done at the University of British Columbia, researchers found
that regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your
sweat glands pumping, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the
brain area involved in verbal memory and learning.
- Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your blood pumping. In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.
- Does it take you long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may find that exercising in the morning before you start your day makes a big difference. In addition to clearing out the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day.
- Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building.
- Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain.
Healthy relationships: the ultimate brain booster
Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone
thrive, in isolation. Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact,
interacting with others may be the best kind of brain exercise.
Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support
system are vital not only to emotional health, but also to brain health.
In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, for
example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives
had the slowest rate of memory decline.
There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and
memory-boosting benefits of socializing. Volunteer, join a club, make it
a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the phone. And if a
human isn’t handy, don’t overlook the value of a pet—especially the
highly-social dog.
Improving memory tip 7: Eat a brain-boosting diet
Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already
know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy”
fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots
of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. But for
brain health, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don’t eat.
The following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and
reduce your risk of dementia:
- Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.
- If you’re not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.
- Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant "superfood" sources.
- Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.
- Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key, since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.
Put it to the test
So what should you do? Start exercising! We don’t know exactly which
exercise is best. Almost all of the research has looked at walking,
including the latest study. “It’s likely that other forms of aerobic
exercise that get your heart pumping might yield similar benefits,” says
Dr. McGinnis.
How much exercise is required? The study participants walked briskly for
one hour, twice a week. That’s 120 minutes of moderate intensity
exercise a week. Standard recommendations advise half an hour of
moderate physical activity most days of the week, or 150 minutes a week.
If that seems daunting, start with a few minutes a day, and increase
the amount you exercise by five or 10 minutes every week until you reach
your goal.
If you don’t want to walk, consider other moderate-intensity exercises,
such as swimming, stair climbing, tennis, squash, or dancing. Don’t
forget that household activities can count as well, such as intense
floor mopping, raking leaves, or anything that gets your heart pumping
so much that you break out in a light sweat.
Don’t have the discipline to do it on your own? Try any or all of these ideas:
- Join a class or work out with a friend who’ll hold you accountable.
- Track your progress, which encourages you to reach a goal.
- If you’re able, hire a personal trainer. (Paying an expert is good motivation.)





