To best exercise your brain, try to use as many sense modalities as possible.
The human brain is extremely flexible, constantly changing in response to the environment. You can improve your brain function by exercising all the centers of your brain daily. Dr. Paul Laurienti and his associates at Wake Forest University have performed several studies to prove the positive effects of multimodality training on the brain, especially in aging adults. For the maximum effect, make an effort to use each part of your brain as much as possible. Expand your horizons and learn new skills and languages. If you are already very good at crossword puzzles, try your hand -- and your brain -- at Sudoku.
Start With a Good Night's Sleep
Get a good night's sleep to use your brain to its best potential.
Your brain functions much better if you have had a good night's sleep. Your brain repairs itself and makes new connections while you are sleeping. When you awaken, your concentration is better if you slept well. With sharper focus you are able to learn, remember and generally function much better than if you had not slept enough or had interrupted rapid-eye movement -- dreamtime -- sleep.
Eat Your Breakfast
A well-rounded diet, starting with breakfast, is essential for optimum brain function.
You need to "break your fast" with a good, well-rounded breakfast that includes carbohydrates, protein and something from the fruit and vegetable group. Breakfast will keep your blood sugar level, which improves brain function. Dr. William Sears says that a properly balanced breakfast creates "synergy" that keeps your brain properly balanced for better learning and performance.
Physical Exercise
Aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain.
Start your day out active to prime your whole brain for better focus. A research group led by Laurienti and Dr. Jonathan Burdette demonstrated that vigorous aerobic exercise results in increased cerebral blood flow, which translates to a healthier brain. Daily physical exercise correlates with better scores on intelligence tests. Running, walking, swimming, bicycling and aerobic sports such as tennis are most effective. Lower-impact activities such as gardening and golf also have a positive result.
Verbal -- "Right Brain" -- Exercise
For the most benefit, do a crossword puzzle that challenges you.
Do a crossword puzzle. Typically, the daily newspaper starts on Mondays with the easiest level and increases the challenge through Saturday. Sunday puzzles are larger but have a medium difficulty level. Just like physical exercise that only builds muscle if you gradually increase intensity, only puzzles that will challenge you will make new neuron connections, building a smarter brain.
Math -- "Left Brain" -- Exercise
Sudoku is a puzzle that utilizes math skills.
Sudoku is a brainteaser now printed in most daily newspapers on the same page as the crossword puzzle. A square of 81 smaller squares is divided into smaller squares of nine. Within each square the user must strategically place the numbers one through nine. Each row and each column must have the numbers one through nine used exactly once. Difficulty levels in the newspaper often follow the same rules as those for the crossword puzzle.
Creative Exercise for Both Sides
Artistic endeavors can combine different brain centers to keep your brain well-exercised.
Research headed by Laurienti shows that multisensory integration, or a combination of cues using the different senses, can benefit learning processes. For example, listening to an audiotape while reading a book that teaches new material, or listening to music while learning a new dance or exercise move can enhance learning. Artistic endeavors such as drawing, painting and woodworking all draw on cues from different parts of the brain to reinforce the neurons that are working together to learn new skills.
Tags: your brain, crossword puzzle, Artistic endeavors, blood flow, Brain Exercise, brain function, good night sleep