You’ve heard of aerobics, but have you heard of neurobics? Neurobics are mental exercises that, some experts say, can improve your brain’s performance, as well as slow its aging.
Reading, learning a new language and learning to play a musical instrument are great ways to stimulate the brain. Puzzles, and even bingo, will also do the trick.
In Neurobics, David Owen creates a workout program, incorporating diet, exercise and more than 100 puzzles that will build up your mental abilities, improve your memory, and boost creativity.
The New Westminster Public Library has other books that will also exercise your brain.
Cynthia Green, a memory expert, teamed with Prevention magazine, to produce Brainpower Game Plan. This fun, activity-based book provides a four-week program of menu suggestions, exercises and brain fitness activities. She promises they will help your memory and concentration, and age-proof your mind.
Cognitive neuroscientist Sandra Bond Chapman believes we are never too young or too old to strengthen our brain’s performance.
In Make Your Brain Smarter,she presents the latest brain science research, as well as an individualized fitness plan to maximize your brainpower throughout your life.
Richard Restak, a neuroscientist, and Scott Kim, a puzzle designer, co-authored The Playful Brain. Restak discusses memory, imagination and perception, and what specific areas of the brain do. Kim offers playful puzzles that will improve your skills in those areas.
Now that you know doing puzzles is a great brain exercise, check out these books.
Max Your Memory, by Dr. Pascale Michelon, includes more than 200 exercises, puzzles and strategies to boost your memory. Never forget a phone number again.
Improve your Brain Power, by Jackie Guthrie, includes more than 400 fun and challenging puzzles and games that will help increase memory, improve vocabulary, and develop pattern recognition and reasoning skills.
The Big Brain Puzzle Book, by Terry Stickels, has more than 200 puzzles with three levels of difficulty, which have been approved by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Who said working out isn’t fun?
