A lot of us men devote a large number of hours every week to bettering our physical fitness, hitting the gym on average three to five times a week. Fitness centers and gyms are always being put up just for the sole purpose of keeping the body in shape. When was the last time that you gave your brain a good workout, though? In this case, the term “use it or lose it” also applies.
Our minds consist of 5 essential cognitive functions:
- memory
- attention
- language
- visual-spatial skills
- executive function
It’s essential to regularly stimulate and challenge all five functions that the brain performs to stay mentally sharp, especially as we age. Here are 5 exercises that you can and should do daily:
Listen to new music. When you listen to new music, more associations are made in your brain as you try to remember the lyrics. To maintain good memory, you should constantly challenge your brain in ways that will force you to remember things. Not only is listening to new music enjoyable, but you’re also broadening your playlist with every new song that you find!
Break habits occasionally. When you are so used to doing something, it needs the minimum amount of attention. Break that habit by doing something else that you wouldn’t normally do (Nothing radical, of course)! Take a different route on the way to work, cook instead of ordering take-out, anything that requires you to put more attention into something than you normally would, do it.
Read. Language is a very important thing that needs practice. When you’re having “a game of thrones” in the bathroom every morning, why not close 9GAG, and read some articles from your local news provider? If you other languages as well, don’t forget to practice those as well! If you aren’t using a language, you’ll tend to forget vocabulary and grammatical rules.
Generally notice interesting things. When you walk into a room, try to notice the 3 most unique things in the room. It may be fascinating, something you’ve never seen before, or just plain funny. Try to remember these things, what they looked like, descriptions, the reasons why you picked them in the first place. Try recalling that information in a couple hours or before you leave that room. This will train your brain to visually collect more information and lets your brain focus on your surroundings more.
Play a game. A great way to keep your mind sharp is to play games, preferably strategic ones. The way games are made to challenge the mind and let it solve puzzles and formulate strategies are just amazing. We’re thinking games that need a strategy to reach a desired outcome, or games that a specific number of moves to win. Or even games that just involve some problem-solving. “I’m not just playing GTAV, honey; I’m giving my brain a workout too!”
