When we think about exercise we usually think about going to the gym, building up a sweat, then have a cool down. Instead of hitting the weights or the treadmill, what about exercising your brain? The brain has 5 main cognitive skills memory, attention, language, visual-spatial skills, and executive function
Memory is very easy to build. When in the car, try listening to a new song and remembering the lyrics which helps boost acetylcholine levels in the brain. Also dressing in the dark or brushing your teeth with the opposite hand can build neural connections
Attention might be a little bit more difficult, but it can be done. One way is to drive a different way to school or work or listen to an audio book while jogging on the treadmill
Language is as easy to boost as picking up the paper. When reading the Boston Globe, instead of first going to the sports section, try reading some business articles where you'll see different words in context which makes them easier to understand.
You can improve your Visual-Spatial capabilities by going into a room and picking out five items, then go back and try to remember where those five items are. Might seem pretty easy? Go back in two hours and see what happens. When waiting for a friend in an unfamiliar place, note everything you can see in your peripheral vision and write it down. Challenge yourself to recall everything and write it down
Executive Function requires making decisions on a daily basis, building up hypothesis, and considering possible consequences of your actions. So yes, video games do help with your executive function, but having a conversation with a friend and remembering their tendencies boost your intellectual performance.
So our Brain can be improved and there are way to improve our Brain through exercise. There are ways to improve our brain before we start cramming for those finals coming up in a month and half, so you can start after you read this article. You can also go on happynueron.com, which has games to improve these skills.
1 comment:
Great on Jon! I think I'm going to go to that website and try some of those things soon. Its true when someone says exercise we automatically think of going for a run or hitting the weights but, your brains just as important to work as your body.
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