What are a few ways to improve brain function and exercise your mind?

1. Jigsaw; fun and helpful
There’s no difference between a 1,000-piece Eiffel Tower image and a 100-piece Mickey Mouse image; a jigsaw is a great brain exercise.

2. Cards; not just gambling
Do you remember the last time you played cards? A study in 2015 on mentally stimulating activities for adults shows that a single game of cards results in greater brain volume in all regions of the brain. It also found that a game of cards develops thinking skills and improves memory. Solitaire, Bridge, Gin, Rummy, Poker, Hearts, Crazy eights are some games of cards you can give them a shot.

3. Improvement of vocabulary
Intelligent people usually enjoy a rich vocabulary. Interestingly, a quick vocab lesson can become a refreshing brain game. Based on a study, some more brain regions are engaged in vocabulary tasks, specifically in vital areas for the visual and auditory process. Examine this theory by doing the following brain-training activity. When you read, note a word you’re not familiar with. Find the meaning and try to use the term five times in the next five days.

4. Dance as if it’s your last one
Based on the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, learning new dance moves is a great way to enhance your brain processing speed and memory. In other words, if you rock on the dance floor, your brain rocks later. Salsa, tap, hip-hop, Zumba, jazz, and contemporary dance are some options to help you prove the theory.

Other options can be:
• go line dancing with your friends,
• learn to ballroom dance with a partner, and
• check out a dance video so you can understand the moves.