5 exercises to sharpen your BRAIN*

Think of your brain as a muscle: It gets stronger with exercise. Your everyday mental tasks are like walking, but how about a real workout? Try these simple exercises to boost your brain power and clear away the fog of forgetfulness.

1. Use your non-dominant hand
Tackling new tasks improves brain capacity in younger people and has a restorative effect on mental faculties that are declining. Boost your brain power right now by performing everyday activities with your non-dominant hand.

Why does this work? .By exercising your brain through the use of non-dominant hand, you are stimulating the opposite side of the brain and activating blood flow.

Stimulating communication between the two hemispheres even helps physical balance.Try switching it up in sports. For instance, in tennis, switch the racquet to your non-dominant side and play.


2. Work out your brain
You have to use it or lose it! You can work out your mind just like you work out your body. Mental exercises that will keep your brain fit include doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, or memorizing names, shopping lists, and phone numbers.

Whatever mental exercise you choose, the key to success is to practice every day at the same time; you are developing and activating new neural pathways, and consistent cycles will keep the brain on track.


3. Move your fingers to improve your brain
Here is an exercise you can do anywhere, at any time. Put one finger on top of the one next to it, then try to stack the next finger on top of that. Or hold a pencil or pen between your index and middle fingers, roll it over until it's balanced between the middle and ring fingers, then again to between the ring finger and pinky.

Finger exercise and movements can be useful in stimulating the neurons in the brain.It increased connections between neurons, forged new neural pathways, and increased circulation to the brain areas.

Increased circulation means more oxygen and nutrients for the brain cells and decreased waste products that clog up the brain.


4. Stimulate brain acuity with self-massage
To improve concentration and memory try this self-massage that stimulates two easy-to-find acupressure points on your neck at the base of the skull. Cross your hands behind you with the palms cradling the back of your head, your thumbs in the grooves on each side of your neck, and your index fingers crossing one another below the skull, just above the thumbs.

Sit in a chair, lean your head back, and let it rest against the pressure of your thumbs and index fingers. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, letting your whole body relax. Do this for three to five minutes. You'll increase blood flow to the brain and at the same time relax the neck muscles, which often tense up in response to stress, constricting blood vessels in the area.

5.Imagination and find solution.
Imagine finding the solutions to your problems (business or personal) while you are driving or relaxing at home. How would it feel if you were the one people came to when they needed a sharp mind to help them? Applying what you learn from this site is a good start, but will you remember to? Guess what? I'll remind you. Your first name and e-mail address - that's all it takes.