The Brain -Use it or Lose It!

Every day even in your routine you should strive to maintain mental flexibility and brain fitness. Autopilot kicks in when we go thru our routine of brushing teeth getting dressed leaving the house -all predictable tasks.

Just like physical exercise for muscles, you lose it if you do not do it, memory loss with age can occur when not stimulated with mental exercise. Brain muscles need to be flexed, so perform different activities exercise your brain meeting new people talking on new topics

A set of brain exercises (created by Lawrence Katz, Ph.D., a neurobiology professor at Duke University Medical School in Durham, N.C.), ‘neurobics‘ challenge our brains abilities. “Presenting the brain with nonroutine or unexpected experiences using combinations of your physical senses—vision, smell, touch, taste, and hearing—keeps your thinking and perception active and growing,” -Dr. Katz.

Like creating and laying down a new track in the brain’s wiring allows for a quicker brain.

Brain exercises can be quick and simple. Having someone clean your area, or find something you misplaced robs you of the brain’s benefits of that task. Even using the mouse with your non-dominant hand!

Below are common actions that alone may not stave off dementia or Alzheimer’s disease but will ‘exercise’ your brain

These are a few suggestions, as easy brain exercises no matter your age: (from ‘Veterans Today’)

• Use your non-dominant hand to write, brush your teeth, eat or dial the phone.
• Wear earplugs when doing simple, routine tasks to strengthen your other senses.
• When using the elevator, learn the Braille numbers.
• Eat lunch with someone you don’t normally spend time with.
• Take a different route to work.
• Learn basic sign language.
• Engage in a brain-challenging game like Sudoku or a crossword puzzle.