Use Your Brain More Often

A great way of strengthening your mental faculties is by using your brain more often. There are plenty of activities, games and other cranial calisthenics that are helpful in upholding the smooth functioning of the brain. Remember these activities are not just for people with mental problems, these activities and exercises are also useful for everyone from the young to senior citizens who want to keep their minds in good health.

Research has shown that people who do brain exercises frequently have better memory as well as concentration. Because by doing easy to do brain exercises the functioning of both hemispheres of the brain are improved; thus the brain becomes healthier. Try the following exercises to improve your brain.

Cross Crawls

Cross crawls is an exercise that is founded on the belief that the nervous system operates homolaterally. What this means is that the left part of the brain commands the movement of the right part of the body, and the right part commands the left side of the body. The theories of kinesiology are also utilized in this exercise wherein rhythmic movements are made so that the brain's lateralization can be enhanced even further. You can do this simply by touching your right hand to your left knee. Do this for a number of times, then touch your right knee with you left hand.

This exercise causes an integration of the various functions and tasks of the brain. This is the reason why this exercise is mainly recommended for people who have dyslexia. This exercise is also great for reinforcing the immune system's responses to disease.

Lazy Eights

Another great exercise which is good for both the left and right hemispheres of the brain is the "lazy eights." What you do in this exercise is you draw the number "8" on a piece of paper with your right hand for two minutes; then with your left hand for two minutes, this should be done on a daily basis. The results after doing this exercise are better concentration and hand-and-eye coordination. Also other great benefits are that you will feel a reduction in stress and an improvement in your mood.

Try different exercises for a change, crossword puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even riddles are a fantastic way of exercising the brain. If you are short on time, you can work on them while on the train, or bus travelling to work. Good Luck!