Neurobics:Train your brain
Have you wondered how easy is it for us to forget information within seconds and come to believe that an event never happened in the past, even if it did? Such forgetting creates a gap between what we think we remember and what we should remember.
Most studies on memory show a decline in memory abilities with increasing age. Neurobics is exercising the brain to seek memory benefits which help people of all ages. Just as physical exercises help out physical body become fit, mental exercises help us stimulate the brain cells, and thus decrease aging in the brain. Exercising the brain implies engaging attention in utilizing multiple sense organs to work on a novel task. As we expose ourselves to challenges, we make our brains more flexible. A simple example of this could be breaking the normal routine in which we conduct our daily activities, like taking a new route while driving.
As stated by Lawrence Katz (Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University) “Just like aerobic exercises emphasize different muscle groups to enhance coordination and flexibility, neurobics exercises involve activating many different brain areas to increase the range of mental motion. They result in a mind that’s fit to meet various challenges — whether it’s remembering a name, mastering a computer program, or staying creative in your work.”
Neurobics exercises that help increase brain function at home:
· Trying a new sport or hobby
· Challenge your thought processes
· Use smell of identifying things around you
· Physical neurobic exercise: Write with your non-dominant hand
· Try holding your ears, crossing your arms and doing squats, like sit-ups
· Play musical instruments using both hands
· Read a new book/magazine
· Work on art projects
· Try tongue twisters
· Change the setting of your room
· Visit a new place and use your sense organs to observe
· Add new odors to your day
· Auditory and visual neurobics: Visit new places, make auditory and visual observations
· Try new pronunciations
· Juggling new objects: For example fixing new puzzles, Sudoku, mazes
How is neurobics different from other brain exercises? It is different in a way where we don’t necessarily have to apply the same logic. It is different from Online Depression Counselling but can help overcome depression. Neurobics involves a new task that is not a part of our daily routine, where activating under-utilized brain regions strengthens brain activities and overcomes early brain aging. Neurobics helps mitigate negative self-talk
“Brain power improves by brain use, just as our bodily strength grows with physical exercise"
- Unknown
