Most people have heard of the computerized “brain games” such as Lumosity, Cogmed, Jungle Memory, and CogniFit. All of these companies were founded with the assumption that using games to train your brain can actually make you smarter overall. And for about a decade, this assumption went unchallenged.
However, recent research shows that these games might not be as valuable to our brain health as we originally believed. Rather than teaching you skills that could be applied to other areas of intelligence, “brain games” do nothing more than make you better at playing the game—but not at things like reading or arithmetic or anything else that could actually benefit you in real life.
So if these games don’t boost your brain power, then what does? Is there anything you can do to increase your intellect or delay mental aging? Not only is the answer to this question yes, but you might be surprised to see that many of these strategies are easily attainable simply by making small adjustments in your daily life.
Exercise
Physical activity does more than work out your body—it exercises your brain as well. Activities such as brisk walking, swimming, and dancing are all good because they encourage your brain to work at optimum capacity by strengthening nerve cell interconnections, causing them to multiply, and protecting them from damage. Exercise also provides greater blood flow to your brain, improves the development of neurons, and decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
Sleep
While you are sleeping, your brain is able to build up firm memories of recently acquired information and also goes through a full spectrum of nocturnal cycles that are essential to optimal functioning during your waking hours. Therefore, if you are cheating yourself out of getting a consistent seven to eight hours of rest each night, your memory and brain functioning will suffer. Additionally, taking a nap throughout the day, especially after you learn something new, can help you retain recent memories while also recharging your brain and helping to keep it sharper for longer.
Music
Research has shown that specific songs and certain types of music can serve as cues for pulling up particular memories. If you learn information while listening to a song or a collection of songs, you are often able to recall that information while thinking of the song and playing it mentally.
Antioxidants
Foods like blueberries contain high amounts of antioxidants, which can help delay memory loss by fostering neuron-to-neuron communication within the brain. Other foods that are rich in antioxidants include grapes, nuts, dark green vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish, tea, and even chocolate.
Note Taking
When you want to remember something, try simply writing it down. The act of writing creates an oxygenated blood flow to areas of your brain that are responsible for your memories. You can improve your capacity to remember and memorize information by writing in a journal, sending yourself e-mails, or starting a blog.
