Brain exercises: how to improve memory in five minutes a day

A good memory and a sharp mind are not innate human talents, but skills that can be developed and trained by both children and adults. For this purpose, there are sets of special exercises and methods aimed at improving brain function and synchronizing the activity of the cerebral hemispheres.

Human brain and memory training

Like the body, the brain needs training. Many tasks that used to create new neural connections gradually become routine and reduce the brain's ability to concentrate and focus on new things. The reason for this is the violation of interhemispheric interaction and the lack of their equal development.

A person's desire to learn new things, which creates new neural connections, helps to normalize the functioning of the brain. But the lack of "feeding" of the brain slows down the learning process, as the memory deteriorates, there is a lack of quick reaction and the ability to think creatively.

An effective way to restore and improve mental and cognitive abilities is to do special exercises to train the brain. Daily exercise helps to improve the functioning of the brain and thus the cognitive abilities of a person, which include thinking, memory, speech, perception, imagination and attention.

Benefit

What are the benefits of exercise for the brain:

• concentration and reaction speed increase;
• memory improves;
• emotional resistance to negative factors increases;
• movement coordination improves;
• have more energy for daily tasks;
• the hidden abilities of the brain are revealed;
• sleep quality improves.

Brain exercises are often prescribed by psychotherapists to treat neuroses, depression and emotional burnout. Exercise helps to switch from negative thoughts, distract and restore a person's productivity.

Peculiarities

The brain needs to be trained throughout life, starting from infancy and continuing into adulthood. In principle, exercise for improving memory and brain function is the same for both children and adults, but it has several functions.

For adults

Forgetfulness, poor spatial orientation, and a general decline in performance can be seen in anyone over the age of 20. Common reasons include bad habits, poor sleep, and irregular work schedules that overload the brain with an abundance of information. In order to normalize brain function and regain intellectual sharpness, you need to review your lifestyle, be physically active, be able to relax and devote 5 minutes a day to thematic exercises.

Likewise, adults should not forget about brain development methods for children - fine motor exercises, poetry lessons, retellings, etc. c.

For children

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

The main and popular way to develop the brain for children is through educational games that combine activities to improve hand-eye coordination, concentration and motor skills. In addition, the equal development of the cerebral hemispheres is favorably influenced by:

• finger exercises;
• breathing exercises;
• logarithmic;
• listen to music;
• dancing;
• reading and retelling what has been read;
• creativity: modeling, drawing, weaving, etc. ;
• self-massage;
• kinesiological exercises;
• didactic games: comparing objects, guessing an object by description, etc.

All this helps to improve the inter-sphere interaction, which affects the development 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, it is necessary to approach its development in a comprehensive way, performing special exercises and changing your daily routine using other interesting ways, which we will consider later.

The best exercises

Lessons should take place in a calm environment. The duration of the training is 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

Such a set of neuro-exercises was developed by American psychologists Paul and Gail Denison based on educational kinesiology.

Exercise 1 "Brain Buttons"

Exercise helps to "start" the brain and get in the mood for work.

1. Stand straight, back straight.
2. With one hand, massage the hollows between the first and second ribs in the area on the left and right under the collarbones. The other hand is placed on the navel, which allows you to focus on the center of gravity.

Exercise 2. "Hooks"

1. Take any comfortable starting position: standing, sitting or lying down, crossing your ankles.
2. Extend your arms forward, cross your palms together and interlace your fingers.
3. Turn your arms inward at chest level so that your elbows are pointing down.
4. Return to the 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 the left leg with the elbow of the right hand. Then repeat the movement with the right leg and left arm. Do 8-10 repetitions.

Exercise 4 "Elephant"

1. Starting position: standing, in a relaxed position. Knees slightly bent.
2. Lean your head against your shoulder. From that shoulder, extend your arm forward like a trunk and draw a horizontal figure eight, starting from the center of your field of vision, upwards and counterclockwise. Important: the eyes follow the movement of the fingertips.

Perform the exercise slowly 3-5 times, pressing the left hand to the left ear and the same number of times pressing the right hand to the right ear.

Exercise 5 "Mirror drawing"

1. Take markers or a pen in both hands.
2. Draw numbers, letters, etc. mirror symmetrically on paper with both hands.

Additional exercises to maximize brain engagement:

1. "Fist Palms". Extend both arms in front of you. Clench the fingers of the left hand into a fist, straighten the right. Then consistently change the position of the fingers, gradually speeding up the movements.
2. "The winner". A "V" gesture is visible on the fingers of one hand, "OK" on the other hand. Alternate hands as you gradually increase your speed.
3. "Horns and legs. "One hand shows the horns, the other legs (thumb, index and middle fingers). Alternate hands as you gradually increase your speed.
4. On one hand, sequentially connect the thumb with all the other fingers, starting with the index. Do the same with the other hand, but starting with the little finger. Do the exercise with both hands at the same time.
5. "Puzzles". On the one hand, bend all the fingers, except for the index and middle fingers, on the other hand - except for the ring and little fingers. Connect them like puzzles. Change hands, gradually speeding up the movements.

For memory

Simple and effective exercises to improve memory:

1. Route map.Draw a map of the route you take to work. Try to remember everything down to the smallest detail: names of streets, metro station, bus stop, names of shops you met on the way.
2. Alphabet.Quickly think of words for each letter of the alphabet.
3. Wizard.You will need a deck of playing cards for this exercise. Shuffle it and remember the order of the first 3-5 cards from the deck. Shuffle the deck and find these cards.
4. Common copy.Find any image on the Internet or pick up a banknote. Study the picture for a minute and draw what you see on a piece of paper from memory. Then compare the drawing with the original to determine the missing details.
5. Remember a school poem or learn your favorite songs. It is also great for memory training.
6. Before going to sleep, remember the people and objects that surround you. If you attended the lecture, try to reconstruct all the material in your head.
7. Pick up an item. Look at it in detail for a minute. Then get off topic and try to describe it by writing a detailed review.

Other methods

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

1. Constantly learning new things.Minimal load on the brain and lack of new information leads to deterioration of memory and other cognitive abilities. In addition, switching your attention to something unrelated to your work helps develop resistance to stress. The best options are learning foreign languages, online courses, handicrafts, etc.
2. Play mind games, solve crossword puzzles, riddles. This will help you keep a clear mind and broaden your horizons.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.For example, choose a different route to work, take up a hobby you were afraid of, actively meet and connect with people in real life.
4. Get involved at the same timeboth 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 trains 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 relaxation and rest.

Products for memory and brain development

To keep your brain active, it is important to monitor your diet. A healthy daily diet should include protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. You can also include the following foods in your menu that support brain function:

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 create the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is responsible for memory and mood.
4. Whole grain bread and cereals.Cereal improves metabolism, fills you with energy and improves blood circulation in the brain thanks to its vitamin B6 content.
5. Tomatoes.A source of melatonin, which prevents the aging of brain cells and improves the condition of blood vessels.

Also, maintaining fluid balance by drinking enough drinking water every day is important for active brain function.

Prevention

For a clear mind, good memory and active brain activity, it is important:

1. Get rid of bad habits.Smoking, alcohol and the use of psychotropic substances impair blood circulation in the brain, causing oxygen starvation and neuronal death.
2. To walk.Daily walks saturate the brain with oxygen and help develop concentration and memory.
3. Exercise.Physical activity improves blood circulation, helps improve memory, movement coordination and improves health.
4. Give to the braineven loadand don't forget to rest.
5. Maintain good sleep hygiene.Sleep at least 7-8 hours. Sleep is necessary so that the brain can rest, strengthen necessary and destroy unnecessary nerve connections.

The most important thing is to practice every day. Only regular exercise will give the desired result.