One of the biggest predictors of having a strong, healthy brain, for life, is curiosity.
People who are more curious, tend to use their minds more…
...And they grow smarter over time. They are open to new ideas, they love learning
new things and they tend to reflect a lot on their experiences.
The great news is that no matter how old you are, you can always improve your mental health...
The brain is much like a muscle, in the sense that it can be trained and strengthened.
And it’s also like a muscle in that if it’s not used, it can atrophy over time.
And according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association...
...Frequent participation in mentally stimulating activities not only makes people grow smarter…
...It reduces their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, we’ll look at 10 Exercises That Will Make You Smarter…
And you’ll also discover: * The overlooked link between physical exercise
and brain health * A silly visualization trick that boosts
your memory * A simple but powerful exercise that activates
a critical part of your brain But first, could you do us a favor?
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Now then… ‘Growing smarter’ has many benefits:
* You become more adaptable when circumstances change, in life or in work.
* You find it easier to solve problems. * You can perform complex tasks in less time.
* You can do more and achieve more. * And those who continue to learn, tend to
have less neurological problems in the future, than those who don’t.
There are several ways you can stimulate your brain to create and strengthen neural pathways.
The method that produces the least significant results, is performing simple mental activities,
such as doing a word find. That’s not to say that these activities
aren’t mentally stimulating... But they aren’t enough to help your brain to grow
stronger and smarter. There was a study in The Journal of Psychological
Science that illustrated this really well. They studied senior citizens and found that
those who performed simple mental activities, such as crossword puzzles, gained little measurable
benefit… ...Whereas those who learned a complex skill,
such as photography, or how to knit, or similar skills…
...Gained far greater improvements in their overall memory.
It’s also important to be aware that cognitive decline can happen early on.
In fact, one study led by Archana-Singh-Manoux discovered that cognitive decline can happen
as early as age 45! While it used to be assumed that it doesn’t
happen before 60, new studies are showing that brain deterioration can happen early.
If you want to achieve more in life… ...While putting a stop to Alzheimer’s,
Dementia and other brain disorders… ...Then you have to do something NOW.
So without further ado… Here are the 10 best exercises for your brain
to make you smarter and prevent cognitive decline...
10. Physical Exercise When you think of mental exercises, you tend
to think of brain teasers, or learning a new skill.
You may not think of physical exercise. However, there is a link between physical
exercise and improving the state of your mind. When you work out, your brain releases endorphins.
These feel-good chemicals can help you destress, allow you to focus, and energize you.
Another reason why working out is beneficial? It may improve memory.
When you perform aerobic exercise, it may target parts of your brain associated with
memory. Particularly, the dentate gyrus. Aerobic exercise also prevents brain shrinkage,
which can happen in your elderly years. But what about the science behind it?
Well, according to a study done by Western Sydney University in 2017, it was discovered
that aerobic exercise helps with memory function and even maintaining brain health.
They conducted 14 trials with 737 different brain scans, and the age ranges were 24 all
the way up to 76, respectively. The research demonstrated that while it didn’t
have an effect on the volume of the hippocampal area, it did increase the size of the left
part of the hippocampus in the subjects. It also produced something called BDNF in
the subjects, which helps to prevent age decline in the subjects too.
So yes, there are “brain benefits” from exercising alone!
Another reason why exercise can help your brain is because it may help you sleep better.
The exact mechanics are not known, but there are many studies that prove a link between
exercise and reducing insomnia. With that said, do not work out too close
to bedtime. Working out energizes you, which may have
the opposite desired effect. Always have an hour to unwind for bed.
In order to reap the benefits of exercise, you don’t need to be a star athlete.
Adding just 15 minutes of exercise to your routine helps your mind.
9. Learning a New Skill One reason our brains go bad is because society
acts like there’s a cutoff date for learning a new skill.
You may be discouraged from learning how to play the guitar, learning a new language,
or learning another skill because you’re “too old.”
Don’t think this way! While learning something such as a new language
is easier when you’re young, it’s totally possible.
Like we said in the intro, learning something new can help your memory and make you smarter.
How can you turn this into an exercise? Simple. Take a piece of paper. Write down three skills
you want to learn. Pick one. Then, read up on the skill you’ve
chosen. Break down learning the skill into small goals.
For example, if you’re learning a new language, try to learn a new word each day. Then, learn
a sentence. Many think that learning a new skill requires
hours of time each day, which many don’t have.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Remember, there is no time limit for learning
something new. 8. Flash Cards!
Remember flash cards from school? Well, they are actually hugely beneficial.
Flash cards help with mitigating the “forgetting curve.”
What’s that? Well in general, when you learn something
new…if you want to remember it for a LONG time, you need to review it.
In this graph, it shows how when you learn something new, you forget some of it over
time. But the beauty of repetition is that the more
you do it, the less you forget. Flash cards are a fantastic way to quickly
review information and they have been around for over a century!
In 1885, Hermann Ebbinghaus used these and became the first psychologist to study learning
and memory in this way. He used memory experiments through testing,
association, and even “nonsense syllables.” Through this, he managed to figure out the
“forgetting curve” too, and when it begins. So how do you use flash cards to boost your
memory of new information? Simply write a trigger word or question on
one side of the flash card. And on the other side, put the answer.
Then, when you want to review it, you simply look at the word or question, and see if you
remember the answer. If you do remember, that’s great, put it
away to review again in the future. If you don’t, look at the answer, make sure
you understand it. And test yourself again 5 minutes later. If
you get it correct, it has entered your brain and you need to review it again soon, to prevent
forgetting. The best process that we recommend is to review
the information 1 hour later, then 1 day, then 1 week, then 1 month, then 3 months then
6 months later. By then, your brain will have formed so many
connections to it, across multiple time periods. And you’ll have excellent recall for the
long term. In one interesting study about flashcards,
a group of scientists, illustrated how they help improve long-term memory of information.
In one group, they got students to use flashcards to help remember new information.
And in the other group, they simply studied the information but didn’t use flashcards.
In the first exam, the flashcards people scored about the same.
But then over time, they began to outperform those who didn’t use the flashcards.
By the third exam, the ones who used flashcards had 87% higher average recall than those who
didn’t use flashcards. So yes, if you want to learn something, whether
it be a language or even to just study for the long-term, flashcards will help!
And, it helps your brain health too! 7. Draw a Map
Why draw a map? We live in a world of GPSs, so you won’t
need it, right? That’s not the point of this exercise.
Instead, the point is to recall all the small details of your surroundings.
First, start small. You can draw your neighborhood, for example.
As you draw, try to think of all the little details.
Don’t just sketch out all the main roads. Spend a little time trying to figure out the
map, all without looking anything up on your GPS.
Then, once you’ve made the map, look at an actual map.
There’s a good chance you may have missed some locations or got a few details wrong.
This is because the smaller details are put in the part of the brain that stores temporary
information. These details are then dropped into the recycling
bin of your mind. You probably didn’t notice every store or
every tree. However, you may be able to soon enough.
By drawing maps, you can eventually learn how to put all the small details together.
This may allow you to improve your memory through training it to focus on all the little
details. Now, for a cool memorization technique...
6. Chunking Chunking is a technique used to improve your
short-term memory. It takes a short-term concept you must recall
and breaks it down into memorable chunks. To put it in simple terms, your phone number
is the biggest example of chunking. Let’s take a look at this number: 2025550430.
Try memorizing that. It’s a challenge to remember, isn’t it?
Your brain sees that as useless information, so it doesn’t put much effort in remembering
it. Especially if it’s a giant sequence of numbers
with no breaks. Now, let’s write out the number like a traditional
phone number: 202-555-0430 It’s much easier for you to recall it when
you have everything spaced out. Chunking actually does help with reducing
the working memory load too! According to a study done by M. Souza Thalmann,
and K. Oberaur in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
they did four experiments to see what chunking does on the memory.
It was discovered that in these four experiments that the chunking recall was improved, and
that the non-chunked memory did stick around, so your working memory could hold onto both
pieces of information. However, this best worked if the elements
in such were overlapping. The working memory however is not fixated
on certain chunks numbers though, so as long as they’re connected, they can be chunked!
If you’re trying to learn a new language, why not chunk some small words together? This
can boost your memory quite well. Think about a big life goal of yours. Try
to break it down into smaller chunks. We’re halfway through the Top 10 Exercises
That Will Make You Smarter... But before we proceed, it’s time to reveal
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Now, on to our list... 5. Try New Foods
You are what you eat. When we were kids, we tended to be picky eaters.
As we grow a little older, we start to be more open to trying new foods.
However, there comes a point where you may start eating the same foods over and over
again. Or, maybe you’re still just as big of a
picky eater now as when you were a child. In order to improve your brain, why not eat
something new? Don’t be afraid to go to the international
section of the supermarket. Look up some recipes that are unfamiliar to
you. The first reason why this is good for your
brain is obvious: you’re trying something new.
However, the second reason is more surprising. See, the olfactory system in your brain uses
your nose receptors to distinguish odors. If you’re smelling new odors of food, this
may invoke emotions and inspire you. Not only that, but trying the same foods over
and over can be bad for your health. If you’re afraid of eating anything new,
it can lead to a poor diet. This can lead to poor health overall.
It can increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
So next time you’re in the market, try something new. Your brain will thank you for it later.
4. Create New Mnemonics In school, chances are your teachers used
mnemonics to help you remember. One example is teaching your ABCs in a memorable
song. Another example is naming off the planets
by saying “My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas.”
Or “served us noodles” for our younger crowd who grew up without Pluto being a planet!
Mnemonics can be used for anything, including name learning.
According to a study done by S. Bredart in European Psychologist, he discovered that
face-name mnemonic means are efficient for learning names in both younger and older people.
By spacing the retrieval of the names too, people can use mental imagery to better remember
these people. It was also discovered that using this for
learning strategies on implicit learning rather than explicit memory processes also help stimulate
learning, especially learning names. So yes, you can use this to remember names
of those people that are “on the tip of your tongue” you can’t remember!
It will help you not only look better, but also will help with improving memory too.
When you’re trying to learn a new skill, use them. Think of clever rhymes, songs, or
abbreviations. For example, the Spanish word for “underwear”
is calzoncillos. In order to remember this, visualize a calzone
wearing underwear. These little associations can allow you to
learn much faster than if you weren’t using mnemonics.
It seems silly, but it does work. Give it a try and see how it works for you.
3. Change Up Your Routine This is a valuable exercise to try because
let’s face it: a majority of our lives consist of routines.
Routines are valuable, don’t get us wrong. Falling out of your routine can be a sign
of depression. Meanwhile, getting back into a routine may treat depression.
Instead of abandoning your routine, try to change it up.
Let’s say you always walk your dog in the morning.
Why not try walking your pooch at night? If your job allows for a flexible schedule,
try working at a different time of day. Do everything you're supposed to do in a day,
but just mix it up a little. This can sound simple enough, but you would
be surprised with how effective it is. Your brain is adapting to new changes, and
even if they seem small, it’s keeping your mind guessing. This can help improve your
memory. Not only that, but it may help you open up
to other new ideas. 2. Write!
Here’s one that is a definite brain booster! Write. After this video, get out a notebook
and write something down. It can be anything. What you see in front
of you. What you’re grateful for. Ideas for that
story you always wanted to write. Having a journal handy can help.
Writing stimulates the part of the brain known as the Reticular Activating System - or RAS
- which is largely responsible for our ability to focus.
So, activating your RAS allows your brain to filter unimportant information and zero
in on what really matters. And in turn, that allows you to prioritize
your goals and other important things in your life.
Furthermore, writing is also good for your memory overall.
In fact, one study led by Martin Lotze from the University Greifswald in Germany discovered
that certain networks and regions in the brain in some subjects were different.
The scientists found that writers actually have brains similar to those who do complex
actions such as sports or music. It was also discovered when he asked for volunteers
to copy the text that it isn’t the same as creative writing, in that those regions
weren’t activated. So when they brainstormed, it activated the
vision-processing centers, helping them work. It also activated the region that’s crucial
for holding multiple pieces of learning. So yes, writing does activate the brain!
As long as you write, your brain should be all right.
Now, let’s talk about the number one exercise for your mind. That is…
1. Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga Want to boost your brain to the max? Try being
more mindful. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware
of the present. Instead of worrying about the future or regretting the past, you’re
in the here and now. Mindfulness allows your brain to observe what’s
around you better. One example exercise is to close your eyes
when you shower. Feel the textures, smells, and temperatures
coming at you. Try to shower with your eyes closed and see
how well that works. Another technique?
Lie on the ground and perform a body scan. Imagine yourself scanning your body from head
to toe. Body scans help us be aware of what’s in
the moment. Meditation and mindfulness go hand-in-hand.
Simply put, meditation is when you deep breathe while clearing your mind.
It allows you to calm yourself down, and is useful as a relaxation technique.
Now, what does that have to do with boosting your brain?
Well, one study from the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback found that
if one mediated, it may increase their IQ. How much?
By up to 23 percent! If you want to be more intelligent, meditation
and mindfulness are the number-one exercise for a reason.
Not only can you boost your IQ, but meditation may help pump those creative juices.
Having trouble focusing? Meditation can help. Want to be more self-aware? Try meditation.
Also consider yoga, too. According to a study from the University of
Waterloo, even doing 25 minutes of Hatha yoga with mindfulness can boost the executive functions
of the brain, improve cognitive abilities, and also help control responses.
31 participants did this, and from this, the findings discovered they were better at doing
executive tasks. Hatha yoga is common, easy to begin with,
and offers more than just benefits for brain health—it’s amazing for the body too and
reduces stress as well! And that about does it for this video!
But before you go, don’t forget to grab your free gift...
“Brain Food Secrets - The 15 Worst & BEST Foods For Your Brain”.
Discover the foods that can enhance mental focus, boost mood, ease depression, and much
more... Simply click the link in the description below...
So, are there any exercises you use to improve your intelligence?
Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to like this video and
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Thanks for watching... We're Brain Health Smarts, and we hope you
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