| It's no secret that to maintain a healthy and happy | | | | the lack of mental exercise achieved by the brain will |
| lifestyle, one must consistently exercise their body, | | | | be so low that it will suffer. |
| but very few people know that you must also | | | | Fortunately there are a lot of ways to stimulate and |
| exercise your brain as well! Your brain, like your | | | | strengthen the brain. As we've established, the brain |
| biceps, is a muscle. And like the rest of the muscles | | | | thrives on having to work and adapt to new things. |
| in your body, your brain will grow weak when not | | | | For this reason it is important that you keep in mind |
| put to good use. The key difference in the brain and | | | | that working one kind of puzzle over and over is not |
| your other muscles though is that while your body | | | | going to be very beneficial. Your brain is actually |
| requires physical exercise, your brain needs mental | | | | divided up into several areas. All of these areas need |
| exercises and stimulation! Things like strategy games, | | | | to be challenged, or any benefit is going to be |
| studying, puzzles, and other problem solving tasks are | | | | minimal. A word problem, for example, is going to |
| all perfect for stimulating your brain, which helps it to | | | | exercise a completely different part of the brain than |
| grow healthier and stronger. What is so special about | | | | a math problem or a strategy game. So how can you |
| exercising your brain, though? Keeping your brain in | | | | work all of these answers? It's actually simple - the |
| tip-top shape provides benefits not only for the short | | | | key is to avoid routine. Changing up the puzzles that |
| term, but the long term as well. Not only are you | | | | you do is extremely important. Keep different kinds |
| able to, in the short term, perform much higher levels | | | | of puzzles, tasks, or problems on hand and randomly |
| of critical thinking and reasoning, but in the long run | | | | perform them over time. This makes sure to test all |
| you will be able to perform much more complex | | | | areas of your brain and provides the brain with the |
| tasks, react faster, and be better protected from | | | | kind of spontaneity that it likes. There are a lot of |
| illnesses like Alzheimer's. | | | | paper puzzles out there, but new forms on computer |
| Unfortunately, it can be easy to fall into a lifestyle | | | | programs are actually some of the best. These have |
| where our brain is not challenged, but instead suffers. | | | | the most variety and are designed to test the brain |
| There are a few things that occur in many people's | | | | in many areas in many different ways. Difficulty levels |
| daily lives that can actually hurt the brain's ability to | | | | also help increase the stimulation for the brain, and |
| think and reason, and over time seriously impede it | | | | are used to make the program just the right level for |
| and cause problems later on in life. These things | | | | the user. Video games of certain form are also very |
| usually can't be avoided altogether, but they can and | | | | effective, particularly ones that focus on strategy, |
| should be limited. Firstly, the brain hates an | | | | problem-solving and decision making skills. |
| environment driven by routine. - It is designed to | | | | When exercising your brain, keep in mind that variety |
| learn, think, reason, and adapt, and if it is not being | | | | is best. Always try to avoid routine as much as you |
| presented any challenges, or situations where it must | | | | can, in your exercise and in your daily life. Your brain |
| be used to reason, it grows weaker. Spontaneity, | | | | is capable of remaining active and "young" for a very |
| challenge, and variety are all wonderful for the brain. | | | | long time, but this is only possible with appropriate |
| Second, anxiety and stress actually take a negative | | | | exercise, like any other muscle. Find activities and |
| toll on the brain. This is not surprising, as stress | | | | challenges that you enjoy, and avoid ones that are |
| seems to have negative effects on nearly every | | | | too hard for you to complete - you want them to |
| part of the body. When a person experiences | | | | be challenging, but not so hard as to be frustrating. |
| elevated levels of stress for long periods the brain's | | | | You want to avoid those high stress levels, and |
| ability to rationalize, reason, and solve problems is | | | | provide a good working environment for your brain. |
| severely limited. If this goes on for long enough, then | | | | |