Keeping your mind active should be your number 1 New Year’s resolution
As we age, many people find that they experience impairment of their mental and functional ability. Everyday tasks can become more difficult, such as remembering which medications to take on certain days, or recalling information such as where you left your keys or glasses.
So what is brain training?
Brain training is the idea that by exercising the brain we can improve its ability to function, in the same way that exercise can improve your physical fitness.
How do I train my brain?
Brain training doesn’t have to be limited to specific games on your computer (although these are popular).
Just like there are numerous sports to keep you physically fit, there are many ways to keep your brain active and engaged.
Find a way to exercise your brain by taking part in an activity that suits your skills, interests and abilities.
You could choose from:
- Sudoku and crosswords: even a quick 10-minute session a few times per week has been shown to be effective.
- Short courses: Open2Study offer many free courses such as photography, Indigenous studies, nutrition and financial planning.
- Longer courses: The Open Training Institute also offer accredited courses in areas such as marketing, management and the arts.
- Family tree and family history research: jump online and start researching your own family story. Sites such as Ancestry.com.au are a great place to start.
- Individual sports such as golf: you could even just visit a driving range to work on your swing.
- Partnered sports such as chess, cards or tennis: as well as the sport itself, the social aspect can be great for the mind too.
- Team sports such as bowls: find likeminded people to keep fit with.
- Dancing classes: learning a brand new skill uses parts of the brain that are often underutilised.
- Learn a new language: as well as the classes themselves, you can spend time at home practising this new skill.
- Book clubs: using your comprehension skills is a great way to give the mind a workout.
- Brain training exercises: you can download these to your phone or computer. Lumosity has over 50 million members worldwide.