KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG THROUGH...

BRAIN CALISTHENICS!!

Exercises to help prevent memory loss and
increase your mental fitness.

The science behind it: Your brain cells produce and secrete special molecules called neurotrophins. These molecules are brain nutrients, sort of a fertilizer for the brain cells, that causes them to be healthier and stay alive longer. The more active your brain cells are, the more neurotrophins they produce and the better they perform. Non-routine, novel activities stimulate the brain cells to produce lots of neurotrophins.

BRAIN EXERCISES

1. Shower with your eyes closed. This will "wake up" your brain!

2. Brush your teeth with your "other" hand. Alternatively, use just one hand to shave, button your shirt, or apply makeup. You can even try this one with your TV remote!

3. Follow a different driving route when you go to one of your routine locations. Roll the windows down to let the smells in for an even more brain-stimulating ride.

4. On the telephone, practice recognizing callers before they identify themselves. Then memorize callers' phone numbers. At the end of the day, write down the people you have spoken with that day, as well as their phone numbers. At the end of the week, try writing down as many of these as you can.

5. Read aloud to a partner. Reading Shakespeare is especially good for the brain, as he uses words in very different ways from the norm.

6. When dining in a restaurant or at a friend's home, try to identify the ingredients in the dishes you are served. Concentrate on the subtle flavorings of herbs and spices. Ask the waiter or your host to verify what you identified.

7. Turn pictures of your family, your calendar, or your desk clock upside down. This will shake up your brain and force it to make new connections.

8. Collect small objects like coins, paper clips, screws, or nails in a cup and try to identify them by feel alone.

9. Change the way you scan the shelves at the supermarket. Stop in any aisle and look at everything from top to bottom. If there's something you've never seen before, pick it up and read the ingredients and think about it.

10. Listen to a piece of music and try to identify the different instruments that are playing. Also, pair a particular song with a strong smell, like lemon or pine. Smell the odor when you listen to the song, to force your brain to form a brand-new association.

11. Take a sentence from a magazine or newspaper. Try to make another sentence using the same words.

12. Don't use a list when shopping. Instead, invent a system to take the place of the list. Use memory aids, such as forming a complete word, or one that can be completed by adding a certain vowel or consonant from the first letters of the words for the things you need to buy. Or, you can classify foods into raw and cooked. Or, use any other system that works for you.