Ways to Improve Your Brain Power
YMCA OF GREATER WAUKESHA COUNTY
BOOST YOUR BRAIN CAPACITY
Sunday, May 29, 2022
By: Coach Jenn, as part of the Stronger Together Challenge
Everyone knows how important it is to have a healthy body to live a long, productive life, but what about brain health? How can you increase your brain power? Invest some time to consistently train the brain. Here are some simple methods to boost your brain capacity and improve intelligence:
1. Journal it
Keep a daily journal--by hand. Writing by hand not only enhances memory and comprehension, it also helps both sides of the brain coordinate.
2. Walk it off
According to Science Daily, walking can send pressure waves through the arteries that increase the supply of blood to the brain.1 It also can elevate mood.
3. Feed your brain
Eat plant-based foods and healthy fats. Cut back on animal products and saturated fats that slow down your cognitive function. Nutrients found in plants support memory retention.
4. Meditate
Meditation can help you relax, clear your mind, and leave you more prepared for any mental activity. It may also help fine tune your memory and increase your brain's ability to process information.2
5. Sleep on it
Sleep plays a big part in both learning and memory. Without enough sleep, it's tough to focus and take in new information. Your brain also doesn't have enough time to properly store memories for you to pull them up later.
6. Volunteer
Elements of volunteering include working in teams (socializing), problem solving, and sharing knowledge. All of these elements promote brain health.
7. Take a dip
Swimming is an aerobic exercise which means it increase blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive functioning.
8. Get moving regularly
Regular physical exercise keeps your brain strong. Aerobic exercise such as running or swimming helps get the blood coursing through the system.
9. Yoga for life
Yoga improves focus and the ability to retain new information.
10. Play brain games
Challenge both sides of the brain to increase focus, concentration, and memory. The left brain performs tasks related to logic, while the right brain is more visual and intuitive. Game ideas inlude: Scrabble, Sagrada, Rummikub, Jigsaw puzzles, Rubik's Cube, Azul, Sudoku, Crossword puzzles, and Chess.
11. Solve real puzzles
Try to do something that wakes up your brain when it comes to your daily tasks and routines to engage it more and help boost cognition.
12. Pursue some trivia
Trivia games can be marvelous ways to see how good you are at jogging your memory. Buy a trivia game, read all the answer cards, and then test how good you are at remembering something freshly learned.
13. Lower the pressure
High blood pressure reduces blood flow to the brain and has been shown to damage the tiny blood vessels in the part of the brain responsible for cognition and memory.3 Reducing your blood pressure will help your brain.
14. Practice Tai Chi movements
Flowing, slow movements linked with specific breathing patterns can help reduce stress, enhance quality sleep, and improve memory.
15. Hire a personal trainer
Having someone hold you accountable for your actions makes you more likely to do what you've said you're going to do.
Improving your brain power is all about habits, and habits take time to establish. Try and focus on on one or two things at a time to see what works best for you.