Keeping Your Brain Healthy

I've been talking about food the past several days, but now I want to shift gears and talk about some other things to help you keep your brain functioning at peak capacity.

Just as your heart requires some exercise so does the brain. Studies have demonstrated that individuals who perform aerobic and strength training actually improve their cognition or ability to think. There has also been a decrease in the rates of dementia in individuals who are exercising regularly.

Any activity that requires thinking to perform, such as dancing, tennis, tai chi, yoga, Pilates, skiing, or even jumping rope, keeps the brain actively working. To turn the brain on more, try doing resistance training with balance and agility exercises.

For brain health, 3-5 times a week will keep your brain going. Now for some of you, I kow you just said, but I don't want to go to the gym. You don't have to go to the gym. You can do some of these things at home, but if you need some type of structure, you can get the Wii Fit. This is the nintendo game played on a TV. It will put you through the balance, strength, and aerobic workouts.