Keep Your Brain Young and Fun Tricks to Sharpen Your Brain

FIND YOUR BALANCE 2020

Just like the rest of the body, the brain needs to be kept in shape, too. Here are a few tips to keep the brain healthy and ward off cognitive impairment:

1. Stimulate your mind. Puzzles or any other mental challenges are a great way to generate new cells in the brain and develop plasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself). Crosswords, sudoku, or any math exercises are great.

2. Exercise. Moving your body — especially aerobic activity like running or fast-paced walking — can help prevent mental decline.

3. Watch what you eat. Another great way to keep the brain in shape is through nutritious foods which can prevent diseases, like diabetes, that take a toll on the brain. Think: colorful vegetables, high fiber foods, low sodium, and less processed foods. Antioxidant rich foods, like berries and citrus, help reduce oxidative stress (which creates a toxic imbalance) and can even lessen the effects of dementia.

4. Improve your blood pressure. High blood pressure has been linked to cognitive decline. Keep blood pressure low by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol.

5. Contact a fitness specialist today. Achieve your balance in mind | body health.

Fun Tricks To Sharpen Your Brain

Would you like more brain power? Here are some fun tricks that will stimulate your thinking and energize your body.

1. Enlarge You Social Circle. Social interactions stimulate the brain. You can join a book club, play bridge or cards, or volunteer for a community service group to develop better thinking and social skills.

2. Change Your Daily Routine. Sit in a different chair, take a different route when you walk, get up an hour earlier and read. Change stimulates brain growth. Try having dinner for breakfast!

3. Develop More Hobbies. Researchers found that playing a musical instrument, painting, woodworking, or learning a foreign language stimulates your brain and energizes your body at the same time.

4. Take a Brisk Walk. Exercise is a great way to stimulate the brain. Park your car farther from the entrance. Use the stairs instead of an elevator. Remember a sluggish body leads to a sluggish mind so get movin'!

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