Top 5 exercises to help maintain sharp memory as you age

Cognitive games like chess, Chinese chess, jigsaw puzzles, and word games are excellent for training your memory and expanding your vocabulary. Rare and difficult words are stored separately from common words in the brain, and if not used frequently, these areas may diminish as people age.

Chess players must remember the rules and the opponent's moves, while also applying experience to avoid mistakes during the game. Skilled chess players tend to have remarkable memory. Children who play chess can improve their memory and communication skills.

In chess, where the opponent’s moves are unpredictable, the brain is required to think strategically, create, and enhance memory. These intellectual sports have been helpful in supporting patients recovering from traumatic events and in preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Benefits of this exercise: These "brain workouts" keep the mind healthy and sharp.

Renowned neuroscientist Lawrence Katz developed a set of exercises to help maintain brain function in old age. Here are a few tips from his book:

• Try performing everyday tasks (such as brushing your teeth or combing your hair) with your non-dominant hand.
• While showering or doing other daily activities, attempt to close your eyes briefly and continue those tasks.
• Frequently change the routes you take to work, the store, or other common destinations.
• When watching a movie, try muting the sound and use the actors' gestures and actions to guess what they are saying.

Source: BRIGHTSIDE

In front of you is a list of words written in various colors. Starting from the top word, continue to announce the color name that each word is written in. When you reach the end of the list, read the colors in reverse order. It may be a bit challenging at first because the areas of the brain responsible for text recognition and color processing are in different hemispheres.

Colors are an integral part of language, culture, and play a significant role in enhancing human learning potential and intelligence development, especially during a child's golden age.

According to researchers, the use of color in multiple regions of the brain demonstrates how human responses to color are crucial. When color information is transmitted from the eyes to the brain, the brain releases a hormone that affects emotions, the mind, and energy levels. The positive and negative psychological impacts of color can be observed in people based on the combination of colors used. For example, we may feel uneasy in a room painted entirely yellow, but we may feel peaceful and calm in a room painted with a combination of blue, green, and yellow.

Because color has such a significant impact on the brain, while memory tends to decline over time, exercises related to color are easier to engage with and remember due to the stimulation provided by color.

Benefits of the Exercise: Helps prevent Alzheimer's by establishing new connections between the brain hemispheres and improving focus and attention-shifting abilities.

The Schulte Table is designed to foster attention development and visual memory training. Scientists have uncovered the secrets behind the effectiveness of these tables. Experimental research results indicate that the Schulte Table has a beneficial impact on human brain activity. Neuroscientists specializing in functional brain imaging have identified that the effect occurs due to increased blood flow to specific regions of the cerebral cortex when tackling new challenges. However, a second attempt to study the same image reduces the intensity of blood flow. In other words, the intensity of the task depends on the complexity and characteristics of the Schulte Table.

Focus on the number 19 in the center of the square. Your goal is to find the number 1 and then proceed to the next numbers in ascending order, sequentially observing each one. Over time, you can create your own table (be sure to arrange the numbers randomly in each box) with increasing difficulty. You can also search for Schulte Tables online for reference.

Benefits of the Exercise: Increases the speed of information processing and enhances peripheral vision.

Typically, we use our dominant hand for everyday tasks like gripping, writing, or peeling fruit. However, switching to your non-dominant hand strengthens neural connections in the brain, thereby training and improving brain function.

In addition to arm movements, the fingertips are rich in nerve endings, so using chopsticks, for example, stimulates this area, which in turn activates the brain and enhances cerebral circulation. Alongside this, maintaining a healthy diet improves digestion and helps control calorie intake.

Beyond regular tasks, finger movements can also aid memory. You can create interesting shapes by using your fingers—form the "peace" sign with one hand and the "OK" symbol with the other. Then, switch the positions of your hands so the left shows "peace" and the right shows "OK." Repeat this a few times, and eventually, perform the exercise with both hands simultaneously. The repetitive movements of the hands and fingers engage the brain, reinforcing memory through repetition.

Benefits of the Exercise: Improves focus and enhances the ability to quickly switch between tasks.