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A recent survey conducted by the website “Lumosity” found five surprising tips that can improve brain health. In order to be better ‘brain stewards’ we should learn as much as possible about the way our brain works, how we can strengthen the connections and build new neurons (brain cells), and things we can change in our lives that may have an effect on how our brains function.

By collecting data from over 750,000 participants in the survey, who filled out the Brain Grade questionnaire and played three different games on the Lumosity website – Raindrops, Speed Match, and Memory Matrix, Lumosity team was able to analyze the data and present the results. The results were “controlled for age, gender and education levels, and results were representative of trends seen in all three games.”

The team identified five easy to follow actions that can help anyone to improve their brain health. They are very simple actions, but each small step can make a big difference. They recommend you simply try out these tips in your daily schedule and see noticeable improvement in your memory and brain functions.

  1. Too much exercise does not help your brain. It is known that exercise is good for your body and brain health. It gets your blood flowing through your heart and sends needed oxygen and nutrients to your brain better. What is little known is that the effect exercise has on your brain can peak, and after a certain point will have no effect at all, and even hinder memory performance. “Brain performance peaks at 2-3 workouts a week, but falls off at 7 workouts a week. In order to keep you brain running at it’s best, limit your exercise times to no more than three times a week.”
  2. Keep reading. The survey found that those who read – magazines, books or newspapers, improve their verbal fluency, which is most often used to measure crystallized intelligence (IQ), by approximately 13% over non-readers. If you read for 10 minutes a day (at a rate of 100 pages per hour) you will have finished 20 books each year. Reading during a commute to work, on a lunch break, or in the evening will add to your brain health.
  3. A cocktail after work is all right. Taking one or two drinks a day will not harm you or your brain – especially dark red wine. The key is to not overdo it. Those who drank three or more drinks a day performed the worst. (Note: there are 126 grapes in every 5-oz. glass of wine.
  4. Take up music. Better performance overall (by 3%) was shown by those who played a musical instrument of some kind at least once a week. Try learning a new instrument, or practice with one you already have. Music uses many different areas of the brain.
  5. Don’t oversleep. Can you sleep too much? Yes. People who get 10 hours of a sleep a night perform as badly as those who get only five. The right amount of sleep is between seven or eight hours a night.

Combine all of these tips into a schedule you can work with and you will find your brain is working at its optimum level, and your memory will be exceptional.

 

 

About the author:

Ron White is a two-time U.S.A. Memory Champion and memory training expert. As a memory keynote speaker he travels the world to speak before large groups or small company seminars, demonstrating his memory skills and teaching others how to improve their memory, and how important a good memory is in all phases of your life.

 

Sources:

Luminosity.com