Exercise Your Brain!
Written by kate - who has written 52 posts on Green Thinking Blog.
Last night I was trying to perform some simple arithmatic to figure out the cost per person from a trip I was just on. Simple is the word to look at - it may have been simple when I was in 5th grade, but not now! In fact, I couldn’t even remember how to begin a long division problem let alone come up with a wrong answer. This got me thinking…
We are all very aware that keeping our body healthy is a imporant for our well being, and in turn, the world. What we put into our system, whether or not we exercise, where we buy our food, all affects the world in which we live…but what about our brains?! That affects the world too!
WebMD says that physical exercise is good for your brain as well. Exercise will release happy feelings, aka dopamine that will help your mood, alertness, and feelings of well-being.
ProHealth recommends Neurobics, a form of working the brain that helps it rewire itself. According to the article, to be a neurobic exercise, it must involve one or more senses in a novel way, engage your attention, and add an unexpected element to a routine activity. Here are some of the tips they give:
- Smell something different in the morning than your routine coffee. Try vanilla or peppermint for a change. I think I will smell my new Sage Citrus Soy candle…mmmm
- Use a different hand for your morning routine. If you are right handed, brush your teeth, brush your hair, and eat breakfast with your left hand. Lefties, do the opposite.
- Learn Braille to determine your floor on the elevator.
Challenge: Try these exercises at home!
2nd Challenge (mostly for Kate): Relearn long division! Check out FreeMathWorksheets.net to create your own challenge, or enhance your skills.