Sharpen your mind.Flex your mental muscle: Brain training may boost brain health and reduce cognitive decline, says new research from the University of Texas at Dallas.
In the study, people spent 3 hours a week learning and practicing brain-training techniques, like filtering out excess details when making decisions. After 12 weeks, the participants had an 8-percent boost in brain blood flow—a marker of brain health that begins decreasing in your 20s, says study author Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D.
Though the participants of the study were older (ages 56 to 71), brain training can benefit anyone. “The brain is sensitive to stimulation. With repeated stimulation, its connections are strengthened,” says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center and coauthor of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program.
Popular services like Lumosity, which uses games to strengthen different aspects of brain performance, are especially great for improving memory, Dr. Small says. But you can also follow a few simple tricks to train your brain to function at its best. (Just remember: You’ll only notice results if you actively incorporate these techniques into your daily routine.)
Take a break. Stepping away from mentally challenging tasks for 3 to 5 minutes will boost your productivity. Research shows a halt in constant thinking slows the mind’s rhythm—allowing more room for your next brilliant idea, Chapman says.Quit multitasking. Working on more than one thing at a time puts your brain on overdrive, fatiguing its frontal lobes, which slows efficiency and performance, Chapman says. Break up big projects into 15-minute intervals, and focus only on one project at a time.If you liked this story, you’ll love these:
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