Brain Exercise: How to Improve Memory in Five Minutes a Day

A good memory and a sharp mind are not innate human talents, but rather skills that can be developed and trained by both children and adults. For this, the aim of improving brain activity and synchronizing the functioning of the brain hemispheresThere are sets of special exercises and methods.

human brain and memory training

Like the body, the brain also needs training. Many tasks that used to create new neural connections gradually become routine and the brain's ability to concentrate and concentrate on new things decreases. The reasonThere is a violation of interhemispheric interactions and lack of their equivalent development.

A person's desire to learn new things, which forms new neural connections, helps to normalize the functioning of the brain. But the lack of "diet" for the brain, leads to a deterioration in memory, lack of quick reaction and thinking creatively. Due to its ability to slow down the learning process.

An effective way to restore and improve mental and cognitive abilities is to perform special exercises to train the brain. Daily training helps to improve brain activity and, as a result, improves the person's cognitive abilities, including thinking. , including memory, speech, perception, imagination and attention.

advantage

What are the benefits of gymnastics for the brain:

• Concentration and reaction speed increases;
• Memory improves;
• Emotional resistance to negative factors increases;
• Coordination of movements improves;
• Have more energy to complete everyday tasks;
• The hidden abilities of the brain are revealed;
• Quality of sleep improves.

Brain gymnastics is often prescribed by psychiatrists to treat neurosis, depression and emotional burnout. Exercise helps to get rid of negative thoughts, distract your attention and restore a person's productivity.

characteristics

You need to train your brain throughout your life, starting from infancy to adulthood. In its principle, gymnastics to improve memory and brain activity is the same for both children and adults, but it has a number of features.

in adults

Forgetfulness, poor spatial orientation and general decline in performance can be seen in every person over the age of 20. Common causes include bad habits, poor sleep and irregular work schedules, which overload the brain with too much information. To normalize brain function and regain the sharpness of your intellect, you need to reconsider your lifestyle, be physically active, be able to relax, and spend 5 minutes a day on thematic exercises. Needed.

In addition, adults should not forget about the methods of developing the brain of children - practicing fine motor skills, studying poetry, retelling, etc.

Among children

The degree of development of interhemispheric connections determines the child's academic performance, proper coordination of movements, communication with peers, quality of speech, and emotional intelligence. The development of new nerve nodes should begin at the age of 2-3 years, when aA child's brain absorbs much more energy than an adult's brain.

The main and popular way to develop the brain in children is through educational games that combine activities to improve hand-eye coordination, concentration and motor skills. Additionally, the uniform development of the brain hemispheres is favorably affected by it. It happens:

• finger gymnastics;
• breathing exercises;
• Logarithmics;
• Listen to music;
• dance;
• Reading and retelling what has been read;
• Creativity: modeling, drawing, knitting, etc. ;
• self-massage;
• Kinesiological exercises;
• Didactic games: comparing objects, guessing an object based on description, etc.

All this helps to improve interhemispheric interactions, which affects the formation of healthy self-esteem and the child's success. And the desire to learn new things can become a useful habit for a child that will help him throughout his life.

how to develop memory

Memory is closely related to other cognitive abilities that also require development. Therefore, its development should be approached comprehensively, doing special exercises and changing your daily life using other interesting methods, whichBut we will discuss later.

best exercise

Classes should be conducted in a relaxed environment. The duration of the workout ranges from 5 to 20 minutes. It is also important to complicate the exercises by increasing the number of repetitions, adding additional gestures, movements and sounds.

for the brain

The following set of neurogymnastics exercises was developed by American psychologists Paul and Gail Dennison on the basis of educational kinesiology.

Exercise 1. "Brain Button"

Exercise helps the brain to "start up" and prepare for work.

1. Stand straight, back straight.
2. One hand massages the pits between the first and second ribs, in the area on the left and right sides below the collarbones. The other hand is placed on the navel, which allows you to focus on the center of gravity.

Exercise 2. "Hook"

1. Take any comfortable starting position: standing, sitting or lying down, crossing your ankles.
2. Extend your arms forward, cross your palms towards each other and interlace your fingers.
3. Fold your arms inward at chest level so that your elbows point downwards.
4. Return to starting position. Repeat 8-10 times.

Exercise 3. "Knee-elbow"

1. Starting position: standing.
2. Lift and bend your left leg at the knee.
3. Touch the knee of your left leg with the elbow of your right hand. Then repeat this action with your right leg and left hand. Do 8-10 reps.

Exercise 4. "Elephant"

1. Starting position: Standing, relaxed position. Knees slightly bent.
2. Tilt your head toward your shoulder. From this shoulder, extend your arm forward like the torso, and make a horizontal figure eight in an upward and counterclockwise direction starting from the center of the visual field. Important: The eyes follow the movement of the fingers. Are.

Slowly do the exercise 3-5 times by pressing your left hand on your left ear and the same number of times by pressing your right hand on your right ear.

Exercise 5. "Mirror Drawing"

1. Take a marker or pen in both hands.
2. Draw numbers, letters, etc. on a piece of paper with both hands at the same time mirror-symmetrically.

Additional exercises to maximize brain involvement in work:

1. "Fist-palm. "Extend both hands in front of you. Clease the fingers of your left hand into a fist, straighten your right arm. Next, constantly changing the position of your fingers, gradually speeding up your movements.
2. "Winner". The fingers of one hand make a "V" gesture, the other hand make an "OK" gesture. Alternate hands, gradually increasing the speed.
3. "Horns and feet. "One hand shows the horns, the other the feet (thumb, index and middle fingers). Alternate the hands, gradually increasing the speed.
4. On one hand, starting with the index finger, connect the thumb to all the other fingers sequentially. Do the same with the other hand, but start with the little finger. Do the exercise with both hands at the same time.
5. "Puzzle". On one hand, bend all the fingers except the index and middle fingers, on the other - except the ring and little fingers. Connect them like puzzles. Change hands, gradually increasing the speed.

for memory

Simple and effective exercises to improve memory:

1. route map.Make a map of the route you take to work. Try to remember everything to the smallest detail: the names of streets, metro stations, bus stops, shops that you met on the way.
2. Alphabet.Quickly find words for each letter of the alphabet.
3. Magician.For this exercise you will need a deck of cards. Shuffle it and remember the order of the first 3-5 cards in the deck. Shuffle the deck and find these cards.
4. A carbon copy.Find an image on the Internet or take a banknote. Study the picture for a minute and draw what you see from memory on a piece of paper. Then check the drawing against the original to identify any missing details.
5. Memorize a school rhyme or learn your favorite songs. It's also great for memory training.
6. Before going to bed, remember the people and objects that surround you. If you attended a lecture, try to recreate all the material in your mind.
7. Take any object. Look at it in detail for a minute. Then divert attention from the topic and try to describe it by writing a detailed review.

other ways

In addition to special exercises, there are other useful ways to activate the brain and improve memory:

1. Learn new things constantly.Minimal load on the brain and lack of new information leads to a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. Additionally, turning your attention to something that is not related to your work helps develop stress resistance. The bestOptions are learning foreign languages, online courses, handicrafts etc.
2. play mind games, solve crosswords, puzzles. This will help you clear your mind and broaden your horizons.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.For example, take a different route to work, take up a hobby you were afraid of, actively meet and communicate with people in real life.
4. engage togetherboth hemispheres of the brain, Brush your teeth, eat, open the door, hold the handle with your non-dominant hand.
5. Read, write by hand.Reading strengthens memory, activates imagination and creative thinking. And handwriting is a great way to develop motor skills.

It is equally important to be able to relax. Avoid sleep deprivation and learn to meditate. The brain needs rest and relaxation.

Products for memory and brain development

It is important to pay attention to your diet to keep your brain active. A healthy daily diet should include proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. You can also include the following products in your menu that support brain activity:

1. Fatty fish.A source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which affect the active saturation of brain cells with oxygen and nutrients.
2. bitter chocolate.Chocolate with 70% cocoa slows down age-related mental decline and prevents cognitive impairment.
3. eggs, Egg yolks contain choline, which the body uses to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is responsible for memory and mood.
4. Whole grain breads and cereals.Grains improve metabolism, fill you with energy and improve blood circulation in the brain, thanks to its vitamin B6 content.
5. Tomato.A source of melatonin, which prevents the aging of brain cells and improves the condition of blood vessels.

In addition, for active brain activity, it is important to maintain fluid balance by drinking adequate amounts of drinking water every day.

prevention

It is important for a clear mind, good memory and active brain functioning:

1. Get rid of bad habits.Smoking, alcohol and taking psychoactive substances impair blood circulation in the brain, leading to lack of oxygen and death of neurons.
2. walk.Daily walks saturate the brain with oxygen and help develop concentration and memory.
3. Exercise.Physical activity improves blood circulation, improves memory, coordination of movements and improves health.
4. give to the brainuniform loadAnd don't forget about comfort.
5. Maintain good sleep hygiene.Take at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Sleep is essential for relaxing the brain, strengthening essential connections, and eliminating unnecessary neural connections.

The most important thing is to train daily. Only regular exercise will give the desired results.