| Training your brain is no different from physically | | | | only 10 days can result in improved right-brain |
| training your body to keep it fit and healthy. If | | | | performance scores. Our goal in mental exercises |
| you engage a physical fitness trainer, they will | | | | is to build both sides of the brain and alternate |
| have you focus on working one group of muscles | | | | such right-brain exercises as mazes and map |
| one day, and a different group of muscles the | | | | reading with left-brain verbal and logic tasks. |
| next. In this way, you are less likely to injure | | | | Everyone should create some kind of mental |
| yourself and you are more able to balance your | | | | exercise routine to help build brain efficiency over |
| strength and stamina. | | | | time. Here are some tips to get you started. |
| Brain exercises is good for keeping your mental | | | | · You will tend to stick to your mental |
| faculty sharp. You should start by sorting the | | | | exercise program if you keep it fun. Select |
| exercises according to which brain hemisphere | | | | activities that you know you'll enjoy. Activities like |
| you're toning. For most people, left-brain functions | | | | playing a musical instrument, reading books on |
| include logical analysis (reasoning), drawing, | | | | topics you find interesting, playing computer |
| conclusions), information sequencing (making lists, | | | | games or solving brainteasers or puzzles. It has |
| organizing thoughts), language and speech, reading | | | | not been proven that one form of exercise is |
| and writing, counting and mathematics, and | | | | more effective than another so go for one that |
| symbol recognition. The right hemisphere gets | | | | you find enjoyable. |
| involved in spatial tasks such as reading maps, | | | | · When building up your mental capability, |
| staying oriented and finding our way, as well as in | | | | start with simple exercises and gradually move on |
| artistic and musical abilities, face recognition, depth | | | | to more challenging ones. In this manner, you can |
| perception, dreaming, emotional perception and | | | | build and tone your brain muscles to have mental |
| sense of humor. In left-handed people, these | | | | stamina and efficiency. The mental stimulation |
| hemispheric functions are reversed. | | | | exercises should be fun yet challenging. |
| Ideally, you want to work both hemispheres, and | | | | · People with jobs that demand a lot of |
| you may want to alternate your mental aerobic | | | | mental work like accountants, engineers and |
| stimulation program from left hemisphere to right | | | | doctors may wish to play down or even avoid a |
| hemisphere. A recent study showed how a | | | | daily mental workout. It may be a good idea to |
| specific form of right brain activity like reading | | | | have more emphasis to balance such a mentally |
| maps can effect the size of the hippocampus, a | | | | demanding lifestyle. |
| key brain region involved in spatial memory. | | | | · You should work both sides of your |
| In this investigation, London taxi drivers spent two | | | | brain and your mental exercise program should |
| years studying for a difficult exam about the city | | | | work both the left hemisphere and the right |
| streets. When the taxi drivers were asked to | | | | hemisphere. |
| imagine a specific route in the city, a brain scan | | | | You may also wish to learn memory training |
| imaging study showed that the hippocampus was | | | | techniques that requires both right and left |
| working. These same scientists have recently | | | | hemispheres to be exercised. Such memory |
| reported that the size of the hippocampus in | | | | training techniques not only help you improve your |
| these taxi drivers is larger than average and that | | | | memory, but also help you in your study skills at |
| its size varies directly with the number of years | | | | school or enhance your mental state in your work |
| on the job. Other studies have found that it need | | | | life. Also, you'll find that it will also help in your daily |
| not take two years to demonstrate training | | | | life helping you cope with anything from |
| benefits. For example, University of Rochester | | | | remembering your child's schedule, planning dinner, |
| researchers found that playing video games for | | | | to remembering what to buy at the store. |