People often turn to brain games in order to beef up their mental clarity, memory, etc. This is especially true for the growing number of baby boomers out there. Indeed, brain games are a fun and useful way to exercise your brain. Most such brain games can easily be found and played for free at online sites. But let me introduce to you a form of brain game you’ve probably never thought of. This form of brain game is called neurobics and it too can be played for free – and you don’t even have to connect to the internet to play!
Now if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know I’ve written about neurobics before. Some time ago I wrote about how walking backwards and writing with your opposite hand can beef up your brain. These are just two examples of what is now being called neurobic exercise. Neurobics is a fun way to give your brain exercise. That’s why I call it a new form of brain game.
According to a recent book I read called Keep Your Brain Alive, by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., an activity becomes neurobic when it:
- Involves one or more of your senses in a novel way
- Engages your attention
- Breaks a routine activity in an unexpected, nontrivial way
Besides the two examples given above, other examples of neurobic exericses would be:
- Brushing your teeth, eating, drinking, opening doors, using the remote, etc. but done with your opposite hand instead of the hand you normally use.
- Taking a shower, eating, tying your shoes and many other normally routine activities but done with your eyes closed.
What happens in your brain when you do these activities in such a novel way is that dormant or new associations (brain cell connections) in your brain get activated. When you close your eyes for instance when doing a task, your brain must rely more heavily on other senses not normally used for that given task. Your sense of touch, smell, and hearing will come into play to a greater degree than would normally be required. By activating and using those brain connections you strengthen them. Not only that, but by doing so you activate your brain cells’ neurotrophin production, which strengthens other brain connections nearby. This results in the strengthening your brain as a whole and building what’s called a cognitive reserve, or safety net. And the more mental reserves that people build up, experts believe, the better they can stave off age-related cognitive decline.
So go check out the book which I highly recommend called Keep Your Brain Alive listed below in the resource section of this post. You might find it in your local library as I did. In it you will learn 83 different neurobic exercises (or brain games as I like to call them) you can do just about anywhere.
Resources:
Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises
‘Neurobics’ and Other Brain Boosters
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brain game, Brain Games, free online games, games to play online, Neurobics, online brain games
