Neurobics is gymnastics for the brain – here are 10 exercises you can try right now
Neurobics are exercises that resemble cross-training for the brain.
In the book “Keep Your Brain Alive” by American neurobiologist Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin, a writer with a lifelong career in advertising, 83 brain exercises are presented. Their systematic application stimulates the development of new neural connections in different areas of the brain, strengthens nerve cells, and encourages the production of nutrients that improve memory. We have selected 10 exercises that engage the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
Try these exercises during your morning routine — over time, you will begin to feel the positive effects.
10 Brain Exercises
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Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand
Research has shown that using the opposite hemisphere of the brain (as in this exercise) can lead to rapid and significant expansion of the cerebral cortex.
How to do it: Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Also, don’t forget to open and use the toothpaste with the same hand.
2. Shower with your eyes closed
Tactile sensations activate different parts of the brain. Your hands detect what the eyes cannot see and send those signals to the brain.
How to do it: Try to use only your sense of touch (be very careful and move cautiously to avoid injury). Turn on the water and adjust it by feel. Then shower with your eyes closed.
3. Change your usual morning routine
Brain studies show that new tasks increase the cortical zone, indicating a rise in brain activity.
How to do it: Get dressed after breakfast, walk your dog in a new neighborhood, change your favorite TV or radio channel.
4. Turn familiar objects upside down — literally
When you look at objects in their normal orientation, your left, “verbal” side of the brain quickly recognizes them and shifts your focus. When they are upside down, your right brain hemisphere is engaged, trying to identify shapes, colors, and spatial relationships in a confusing image.
5. Change your seat at the table
In most families, everyone has their usual place at the table, but your brain constantly craves new experiences.
How to do it: Sit in a different spot to change your physical position, perspective of the room, the people around you, and even how you reach for the salt and pepper.
6. Inhale new scents
You probably don’t even remember when you “learned” to associate the smell of coffee with the start of the day. New neural pathways can be formed by linking unusual smells — like vanilla, cinnamon, or mint — with everyday activities.
How to do it: Keep an extract of your favorite scent near your bed for a week. Open it and inhale the aroma when you wake up, and again while washing up and getting dressed.
7. Open the car window
The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for memory. Memories are stronger when they are tied to smells, sounds, and sights.
How to do it: Try to identify new sounds and smells along your route. An open window will help with that.
8. Explore the grocery store
Stores are designed to place the most profitable items at eye level, so while shopping, you actually miss a lot.
How to do it: Pause in every aisle and scan the shelves from top to bottom. If you see something unfamiliar, pick it up, read the ingredients, and think about it. You don’t have to buy it — you’ve already disrupted your routine and gained a new experience.
9. Increase your daily interactions
Scientific studies repeatedly show that a lack of social interaction has a serious negative impact on overall cognitive abilities.
How to do it: Want a drink? It’s better to buy it from a store clerk than from a vending machine. Need something from the store? Pay at the register instead of using a self-checkout.
10. Read differently
We use different parts of the brain when we read silently, read aloud, or listen to someone read.
How to do it: Read aloud with a partner, switching roles between reader and listener. It might take longer to finish the book, but you’ll spend more quality time together, according to econet.ru.
