Why brain training and what is it anyway?
So-called brain training is about training the brain. It's similar to the muscles in the body: what isn't used loses its performance. Therefore, there are special brain training exercises designed to counteract this. The aim is to maintain or increase brain performance, and this is possible at any age. However, as we age, it becomes especially necessary to train the brain so that it can still cope with the demands placed on it. These special mental brain training exercises have only been around for around 20 years. The exercises are intended to bring the "working memory" in the brain to a high and, above all, consistent level. Attention, word finding, and mathematical performance also improve, allowing us to react more quickly.
How can I do the brain training exercises and which ones are there?
Brain training doesn't require much effort. There are plenty of opportunities to train your brain in everyday life. Many brain training exercises can be done "on the side," or you can use them to usefully fill waiting times, such as at the doctor's office. It's also suitable for keeping children busy during a boring time. You don't have to exhaust all the options. It's enough to choose a few that particularly interest you.
Examples of brain training exercises are:
- Delete letters
- Spell
- Counting letters
- Avoid words
- Invent stories and many more.
Let’s pick out a few and take a closer look at them.
Examples of brain training exercises and what lies behind them
For example, the finger exercises: this exercise can be performed quickly and easily anywhere. The thumb should touch all the other fingers of the same hand. You can make this exercise more difficult by doing it with both hands at the same time, moving them in opposite directions.
Speaking backwards also challenges the brain. This puts the language center and concentration skills to the test. Think of a sentence and recite it, starting with the last word. Each word can also be spoken backwards individually to increase the difficulty.
A particularly useful type of brain-training exercise is to memorize as many everyday things as possible: phone numbers, shopping lists, and the like. You can keep paper or electronic reminders handy for backup. Reciting the alphabet backward can also be effective.
Other brain-training exercises that can be done anytime and anywhere include word chains or the old game "I'm packing my suitcase." One person says an object, the second person repeats it and adds their own. The third person does the same. This way, the list of things you have to remember gets longer and longer. This is a great workout and is also interesting for larger social gatherings or during a bus ride. Another option is memorization. You take a poem or other text and memorize it as a brain-training exercise. Mnemonics are also a great experience. Here, you try to remember seemingly illogical things or combinations using newly invented mnemonics. If you're on a long car ride or stuck in traffic, you'll come across many unfamiliar license plates. You can form sentences from the letters, such as IK GS. Here, you can form: I can write well. Counting letters is also very simple and can be done in any waiting room. You simply take a text in a magazine and count the same letters, i.e. how many "a"s are in the text?
No matter what brain training exercise you choose, the main thing is to consciously decide to do it.
Brain training for children and adults
Which exercises or tasks are best suited for each individual depends on their level of knowledge, age, and general education. However, anyone, whether a child or a grandmother, can train their brain at any time. A wide variety of programs are available for this purpose.
For children, it's recommended to train their memory through play. Special games designed to improve concentration and comprehension provide a welcome change of pace for children and simultaneously promote intellectual development. For teenagers and young adults, various games that can be played on consoles or PCs are recommended. These games involve solving challenging puzzles, complex tasks, and logical questions.
These exercises are available in an expanded version for older adults. They increase mental fitness, concentration, and endurance. With each "level," or chapter, completed, your performance level also increases. Anyone who perseveres and solves all the questions and tasks will be pleased. And this positive experience trains all of your senses.
Active exercises to increase mental fitness
In addition to the training programs mentioned above, you can also do something to boost your brain's activity in everyday life. Training your mental fitness and performance with small exercises isn't rocket science. For example, you can remember new information more easily if you visualize what you've read or experienced.
Emotions are often a good additional tool for remembering connections better. Many people feel the same way: they can still recall very special events from childhood, but remembering their own phone number is difficult. If you imagine a telephone keypad and type in your number with your finger, a pattern emerges. If you memorize this pattern as if it were drawn with a pen, it becomes easier to recall the number mentally. Many exercises of this kind help train mental fitness. Another exercise to train and effectively increase mental fitness and receptivity is to read texts while moving. You can also read aloud, achieving a double effect. Because the additional stimulation of auditory nerve pathways allows the information to be stored even more effectively. So, if you want to learn a foreign language in old age, this training offers a great opportunity to learn and retain vocabulary and grammar rules faster and more easily.
Quick exercises to promote mental fitness
Simple exercises include the well-known memory game, memorizing number combinations, or trying to recite names backward from memory. All of these training units strengthen cognitive abilities and thus enable you to develop mental fitness.
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