Physical fitness is always the hype. Everyone wants better tummies, to wear a 6 pack and to be desirable in a bikini. Asides from those benefits, exercise can also help you become healthier and smarter. But did you know that our brains also needs exercise in order for it to be fit? Our brains is probably the most used part of our body today and taking care of it should be one of our priorities too.
What in the world is mental fitness?
Mental fitness is where our minds are challenged in an activity that will require us to be more attentive. It generates brain cells and helps our brain to grow. Routine work and everyday mental tasks are not enough to keep our brains fit, and that is why we need to intentionally do things to make our brains healthier.
There are many ways to do mental training. You don’t need to memorize the periodic table of elements and solve mathematical equations. Here are some of the strategies to make sure that your brain is trained, ready and healthy!
Strategies for a healthier brain
The strategies below are grouped based on age levels as we believe that different age levels requires a different strategy for brain fitness.
Infants
Babies are often watched with excitement as they reach their monthly milestones like smiling, walking, eating and crawling. But did you know that crawling is more than just a physical milestone but it is a mental milestone as well?
Crawling is vital part of an infant’s physical and mental development because it the movements in crawling activates the brain’s capacity to connect both the left and right part of the brain. It’s important not to skip this part because studies have shown that achieving crawling as a milestone helps infants later in life in certain skills like reading, writing, and comprehension.
Children and Pre- Adolescents
Of course, crawling is no longer a good mental exercise for those children who are well beyond the crawling period. Here is where we need to go back to the old games that teaches kids how to be smarter. One particular game that is timeless is the memory game where a deck of cards are scattered across the floor and the kid should identify the cards that are the same by memory.
But not only that, puzzles can also help with mental simulation. Physical exercises too can help with brain activity, such as basketball where eye to hand and feet coordination is important.
Teens and Adults
Being a teen means a lot of energy and a lot of opportunities for mental growth. While school projects and research papers may be enough to stimulate a teen’s mind, oftentimes these contributes more to their stress than their enjoyment.
More appropriate board games like Sudoku can help boost mental capacity as it requires more brain juice. Chess is also a good strategy game to consider as it’s more than standard moves but requires a specific mind process. Reading novels also help as it triggers the imagination and lets you experience new things within the four walls of your own room.
Seniors
Seniors may have a bit of a challenge in maintaining both physical and mental health due to their limited capability but it’s not impossible. Reading a newspaper, or crossword puzzles can help keep the brain active. Constant conversations too can help seniors to still be in active thought which reduces the risk for degenerative diseases to take over.
Takeaway
Our brain is the same as the other parts of our body, when we don’t keep it fit, it won’t reach its peak performance. Take care of your brain by exercising it regularly.
Mental exercises can be tiring and may sometimes cause some headaches. But Oleia can definitely help relieve the symptoms of pain without the painful side effects of NSAIDs. Just apply Oleia Topical oil in the temple area of your head and apply pressure as you massage it.
About The Author
Cathy spends part of her days wondering how to combine her 2 loves, writing and photography. The rest of her time she spends taking care of her two babies. Sheena, a Labrador retriever & Amanda, a Siberian husky. She’s been an OLEIA user since May.
