What Is Brain Training?

Did you know that there are fun and easy ways to train your brain at home? So whether you’re getting older and want to stimulate your brain to make sure it stays healthy for as long as possible or simply want to improve your brain function, you can do multiple brain exercises!

As a center in Colorado Springs providing services for cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, memory care, and brain integration, A Cognitive Connection understands how brain exercises can help improve your cognitive abilities. In an effort to share some helpful resources with you, we’ve gathered a handful of fun ways you can train your brain. So keep on reading to find out about easy ways to train your brain!

What Is Brain Training?

Brain training is when you engage in certain activities to improve your brain health. Just like how physical exercise helps build muscle, mental exercise helps build up your brain. More specifically, brain training builds neural pathways, improving cognitive skills.

What Are Cognitive Skills?

Cognitive skills are your brain’s ability to memorize, reason, process sounds, process visuals, and pay attention. These are core skills of your brain, and the more you exercise these skills, the stronger your brain will become and the better it’ll perform. We use our cognitive skills every day, so it’s essential to make sure they’re strong. When you remember the directions to your doctor’s office or work on a math problem, you’re using your cognitive skills.

Brain Training Activities

Mix some of the activities below to create a fun brain training schedule depending on what kind of activities you prefer and whether you have any physical or mental limitations.

1. Dancing

   1. Dancing requires coordination, which is a great way to engage your brain. The best part about this brain activity is that anyone can do it! Studies have shown that people who dance regularly improve their planning, memorizing, organizing, and creativity skills.

2. Learning A New Language

   1. Learning a new language does take time and isn’t something you can accomplish quickly. Still, if you split it up into daily, manageable lessons, you may be surprised at how approachable learning a language can be.

3. Play Board Games

   1. If you’re going to play a board game and want it to exercise your brain, choose a more strategy-focused game. While “no-brainer” games are fun to play, they don’t have many benefits for improving your cognitive skills.

4. Play A Card Game

   1. Like board games, card games improve your brainpower while having fun with family and friends! The best part is that you can play cards anywhere, even on an airplane, so you can improve your memory and other cognitive skills at any time.

5. Puzzles

   1. Puzzles are one of the best ways to build your visuospatial function. Visuospatial functioning is one of the first abilities of the brain to decline in those with cognitive disabilities, such as Alzheimer’s. Choose any type of puzzle that you enjoy, whether that’s crossword puzzles, sudoku, or traditional puzzles.

6. Play Music

   1. Playing an instrument, whether it’s one you’ve been playing for years or a new instrument that you’re learning, is a great way to improve your mental capabilities. If you don’t have an instrument and don’t want to worry about paying for one, you can instead learn to sing to exercise your brain in similar ways. Learning how to control your voice is a great brain exercise.

7. Meditate

   1. Meditation is a great way to improve your attention skills. If you’ve never meditated before, don’t worry. It may seem intimidating, but all you need to do is find a comfortable, quiet place, close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and try not to let your mind wander.

8. Cooking

   1. Cooking involves a lot of cognitive skills, making it a great way to exercise your brain. It involves memory, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail. Anyone can learn to cook, regardless of age, making this a great exercise to improve brain function in older adults.

Train Your Brain With A Cognitive Connection

There are multiple fun ways to improve your working memory, shorten your processing speed, fight cognitive decline, and exercise other parts of your brain. The team at A Cognitive Connection can help you find activities that you’ll enjoy doing and can easily incorporate into your routine. Contact our team today to learn more about the importance of brain training and fun ways to train your brain!