Although it’s so much easier to let our brains, along with the rest of our body, age as we grow older each year, did you know that there’s a way to keep it “young”? Old age is inevitable sure, but there are activities that can help keep your brain active and alert so you can continue enjoying life. Much like workouts help us on a physical level, the following will give you a much needed mental workout for a brainpower boost! 

 

1. Learn something new.  

Whether it’s another language, an instrument, or knitting, it doesn’t matter! This gives your brain the mental stretch that it needs to continue functioning. Learning a new skill is a challenge, and studies have shown that such activities improve memory for the long term – one study even found that a year later, the memory improvements remained steadfast with participants who were asked to learn a brand new skill. Not only are you keeping your brain young, but you’re also learning a bunch of new things that can make life fun and interesting. 

 

2. Draw a map. 

The brain thrives when it’s challenged, and another creative way to keep it on its toes is to draw a map. Whenever you visit a new place, without checking Google Maps or any other similar resource, draw a map of it based on what you remember. The mental gymnastics of remembering the place will give your brain some exercise and, over time, can help improve memory. 

 

3. Read. 

It’s a simple activity but can give your brain a boost. You see, reading combines a lot of different mind-stretching factors: your sense of sight, your recall of language, and associative learning to connect the dots of what you’re reading together, which helps you understand what it is you’re taking in. Regardless if it’s the newspaper or an adventure story, reading is a great way to keep your brain healthy and fit! 

 

These are just some of the things you can do daily to keep your brainpower at its maximum. We all want to be able to do more as we age, and more than just keeping ourselves physically fit, it’s also worth investing time and energy in activities that keep our brains in tiptop shape so we can live our lives to the fullest!