Ways To Keep Yourself Mentally Fit

Just as our bodies require care and exercise over the course of our life, so do our brains — especially as we age. Lifting weights strengthens our muscles, while strengthening our mental “muscles” improves our memory, attention, brain speed, people skills, intelligence and navigation.

Don't rely on Sudoku to keep your mind fit. Make new friends, visit different places and learn new things to really challenge your brain.  This stimulates brain structures strongly subject to age-related processes and can help prevent dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Research Initiative (AFI), a Germany-based non-profit organization.

Taking up a new hobby, learning a foreign language or joining a local theatre group will therefore not only spice up your life, but also boost your brain. 

When we think of ways to train our mind, doing crosswords and Sudoku puzzles often come to mind. But they are not very effective, the AFI says, because they only require you to call up information you already know. Watching television is not mentally demanding either.

This cannot be said, however, about reading, doing jigsaw puzzles or playing parlour games.
Listening to music, making music and dancing to music also stimulates the brain. The AFI recommends that you not listen to the same songs over and over, but frequently change your personal playlist, giving your brain more variety.

Cultivating old friendships and building new ones not only pays emotional dividends, but mental ones too - social contact, conversing, reading others' facial expressions and body language all exercise your brain.

Breaking up routines is beneficial as well.

"When you take a walk, run errands or go on an excursion in your area, choose unfamiliar routes and destinations," suggests Alexandra Borchard-Becker, a consultant with Germany's Consumer Initiative Association.

Other things you can do for more variety include brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, and going to different shops or supermarkets.

Source: German Press Agency (dpa)