Brain exercises are important to keep your mind stimulated! The brain is one of the most complex organs as it helps to regulate different body functions and it interprets different sensory information as well as processes our emotions. The brain does indeed get a lot of exercises every day and certain brain exercises can boost your brain function and connectivity. This can protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and age-related brain degeneration. Your loved ones can go for memory care programs which have many different brain exercises to try! The brain is constantly active but there are brain exercises that can engage the brain in new ways which can lead to improvements in memory, cognitive function, and even creativity. Here are some brain exercises to try out!
Meditation
Meditation is a great way to keep your brain engaged and relaxed at the same time. Meditation is the process of paying attention to the breath as you breathe in and out and the practice of mindfulness. It calms the body and lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, bringing you into a very relaxed state of mind. There have been studies that show that mediation can enhance cognitive functions which can include increasing your attention span and improving your memory capacity. Your loved ones will experience better memory retention when they start to meditate as it enhances both short-term and long-term memory. Having regular meditation of about 10 to 25 minutes a day can help to increase the blood flow to the body and brain, causing a vast network of blood vessels in the cerebral cortex while reinforcing memory capacity.
Visualization
Visualizing requires you to form a certain image in your mind that represents information that you are processing. These mental images can come in the form of pictures or moving scenes. Visualizing can change how our brain networks are being organized and can create more connections in the brain. Visualizations also improve your decision-making performance as it allows you to explore different possibilities in your mind and it gives you space to rehearse how you were to perform before actually performing or carrying out a task. People can often practice visualization anywhere and anytime they like, they can visualize how they will get to places and what they will buy when they get there.
Games
Playing games not only helps you socialize or pass time, but it can also stimulate the brain and improve cognitive functions! Studies have shown that playing games regularly can increase gray matter, which helps with muscle control, memories, and perception, in the brain and even increase brain connectivity. Some video games allow people to learn things too! Some games incorporate history, cooking, chemistry, and many other different topics that will interest your loved ones! Even memory card games are a great way for your loved ones to engage and have fun! This game will test their short-term memory and their ability to remember different patterns! Crossword puzzles are also very popular among seniors as they stimulate the brain and it is a great way to pass time.
