Keeping the brain stimulated is part of taking care of one’s overall health and wellness. Aging, lifestyle habits, and environmental factors all leave their footprints on our
To some
Sometimes though, exercising the brain is about more than one might assume. For instance, studying might come to mind, and you might assume that keeping your nose in a book all day is the only way to keep the mind at work. It’s certainly one way to keep your mind active, but there are other everyday options for stimulating the brain as well.
1. Exercise Regularly
Physical activity doesn’t just work out the body; it works the mind, too. So for one thing, you can start your day with a simple yoga and meditation practice, which helps to eliminate mental distractions and increase creativity, not just in the moment but in the hours following the routine. Beyond these clear perks, there is plenty of research explaining why keeping your body moving is good for the brain. One of the major reasons scientists recommend exercising for brain function, for instance, is that it enhances blood flow throughout the body – including to the brain. This effectively increases the brain’s supply of oxygen, which is needed for basic functionality and the production of new brain cells.

2. Do Mental Gymnastics
There are many cognitive exercises that you can do on your own, aside from regular physical exercise. These include, believe it or not, reciting the alphabet backward, memory games, or even listing numbers that rhyme with certain words. As geriatric neuropsychologist Dr. David Libon has explained, these exercises teach the brain to adapt to patterns that we’re not used to. For example, reading the alphabet in the correct order is already “automatized” in us – but when you read it backward, your brain will have to work harder, which is effectively a stimulating form of cognitive exercise.
You can also do crossword puzzles, play scrabble or if your addicted to your cell phone there are games you can play like words with friends that will help to stimulate your brain.
3. Watch Foreign Films
Studies show that multilingual people are more resilient to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Watching foreign films, or finding other fun ways to learn a new language (modern apps can be terrific for this), increases your so-called cognitive reserve. It is the mind’s resistance to dysfunction or damage that can ordinarily occur in the brain.
4. Try Online Casinos
Casino games like blackjack have been found to boost brain health in older adults. They can help specifically with short-term memory, concentration, and decision-making skills. And fortunately, they’re easy to access these days without actually having to go to a casino (or risk much of your own money).
Thanks to gaming sites, today’s newest casinos are available digitally and provide all of the games you might need to try training your brain this way. It’s still important to be careful and strategic if you wind up making real-money bets, but the games themselves can help you work on all of the cognitive disciplines just mentioned, and stave off certain elements of mental decline.

5. Switch Up Your Routine
We all follow daily routines, but research has indicated that switching those routines up from time to time can be beneficial. Think of it as another form of mental gymnastics. Breaking your routine challenges your brain, even if the change is something as simple as walking on a different side of the road than you typically do when heading home from work. It may seem inconsequential, but something as small as this still forces you to think about what you’re doing rather than just “zoning out” and following established routine.
Using these tips you can stimulate your brain and help to keep yourself sharp and focused. Something we all need to work on no matter what age we are.