Although we all inherently practice various forms of brain training on a daily basis, recently, the scientific and medical communities have begun making us aware of the distinct benefits of specific and targeted brain exercises. For those interested in learning more on the subject, there is already an abundance of scientifically-backed information to take in and learn from. In that same spirit, we take a look at some specific examples of training exercises and how they are done. Here are five good ones.
The interactions between your body and brain carry you through thousands of micro-tasks every day. While some of these areas can’t quite be trained and improved, others can. When it comes to voluntary movement and actions though, you can speed reflex and efficacy in movement via practice.
Start by choosing a list of body parts and specific actions or motions that you can make with them. Then, with a friend or by yourself, proceed through the list of motions slowly at first and progressing in speed with each round. Once efficiency is acquired here, another list with more complex actions can be made and put to use.
Clarity and Calm Practice
In many professions, the rigors of stress and psychological strain can be unforgiving, leaving an indelible mark on those affected. Fox News lists firefighters, surgeons, teachers, combat soldiers, and even stock exchange jobs as some of the most stressful today. Unwinding the brain here is thus essential in many cases.
Training your brain in this area is much like meditation. Find a comfortable place to sit and begin deep breathing. Breathe as deeply and slowly as possible, allowing the thoughts and troubles of the mind to slowly slip away. There is no set instruction for this as everyone is able to do it at different speeds, with different techniques, and in various settings. Once seasoned though, the regular practitioner can begin to apply the technique in places where it is immediately needed and without necessarily sitting and stopping all activity.
To many of us, being able to memorize auditory information quickly and easily can be an invaluable skill to have. From quickly taking in a supervisor’s list of needs, to getting directions when traveling, being able to hear, process, and retain sometimes long lists of information is awesome. To get better in these areas, you have to make the brain practice this task with repetition.
If alone, you can practice this simply by memorizing the lyrics to a song or even a short ingredient list for a recipe that you’ve been wanting to make. If there is someone available to help, have them say random sentences and/or numbers. Repeat back, and make the challenges more difficult as progression takes place.
Play Board Games
Believe it or not, board games are an excellent method of brain training often overlooked in this modern age of electronics, computers, and assorted gadgetry. Some games focus on challenges with regard to spatial relations and geometry. Others can involve focus on math, deductive reasoning, and a variety of problem-solving skills. In almost all cases, board games can build many areas of the brain’s functional centers. In addition, the number of games available out there makes it easy to choose the particular activity and brain exercise you wish to aim for.
Training your brain doesn’t always have to do with immediate, brain and body benefits. Visualizing success is just that kind of alternate example of training the mind. To do this, simply think of areas in your life that you know are due to encounter challenge at some point.
Visualize success in overcoming that challenge. Do this again and again with all of the challenges life has to offer. Leading experts agree widely here that doing this can help to breed great, personal patterns for success and an ability to find solutions, optimism, and a certain regularity in all of life’s obstacles.
Training your brain is always a great idea no matter your age or education. Through this training, the beneficiary is the best one: you. These five examples of brain training are just a few basics to help get you familiar and set to train.