Mental Exercises – Memory Improvement

Welcome to a world of limitless potential – the realm of Mental Exercises, Mental Exercises, Mental Exercises! In this journey, we delve deep into the art of Memory Improvement through the power of Mental Exercises, unlocking the secrets that lie within Mental Exercises, and discovering how Mental Exercises can elevate your cognitive abilities to new heights. Join us as we embark on this exciting exploration of Mental Exercises, your key to enhancing memory and mental prowess.

As we said earlier, one way of keeping the brain healthy is by doing some mental exercises. If you do crosswords or calculate numbers in your head, that’s great, keep it up. We’d also like to suggest the following that you can do whether in school, at the office, in the restaurant, in the parking lot, etc.

Exercise 1: In School

If your school cafeteria has a signboard describing the menu for that day, make an effort to read it in full and try to memorize the items on the menu. We tend to stare absent-mindedly at bulletin boards and not really absorb anything because the information is either irrelevant or unimportant. Make it a daily habit to read the menu and try to think of ways to remember what you read. For instance, if the menu has a list:

• Quiche Lorraine

• Clam Chowder Soup

• Fish and Chips

• Vanilla Pudding, Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Herbal Tea

As you read each item, imagine yourself eating these and identifying what each item tastes like. And try this: take the first letters of each item and keep repeating them to yourself. So you have QCFVH. Repeat: QCFVH. One more time: QCFVH. It’s no harder than memorizing the acronym of your favorite radio station, isn’t it? If a fellow student ever asks, “hey, does anyone know what the cafeteria is serving today? I’m starving mad.” Be the first to tell him.

Exercise 2: At the Office

This should be a fun exercise if you’re into languages. You know the saying, it’s better to have two brains than one! Most bilingual people have an edge over their unilingual friends and associates. They stretch their brains and make them work harder as they find the equivalent word in a foreign language. In the US, Spanish is becoming the second most frequently used language while in Canada, it is French. Throughout the day, as you meet people and see objects in the company, think of the Spanish or French equivalent. For instance, you take a break and get up from your desk. You head for the washrooms. You see the following on your way:

Exercise 3: In the Restaurant (or any public place)

You can take a good look at your waiter (or waitress) and take in his features, any special moles, hand or eye movements, or if he’s got a ring on his finger. This is like practicing a bit of detective work, although it may not be a good exercise to do if you are dining with your spouse. Another exercise would be to look around the restaurant and make a guess as to how many customers there are. An alternative would be to spot unusual objects in the restaurant and pretend you’ve got a photographic mind and memorize their place. This way you sharpen your sense of vision and hearing. Making a conscious effort to know what is around you helps you define your place in relation to all the persons and objects that share the same space.

Exercise 4: In the Parking Lot

You may have complained a few times about forgetting where you parked the car or getting the feeling that your car had been stolen. This happens frequently in a large shopping mall where the parking lots are located in different quadrants of the building. When you park your car, make a mental note of all possible “aid locators”: you’re in row #, facing a building (or highway or a large sign), the make and color of the car to your left and right, etc. This way, when you’re done with your shopping and ready to leave, you’ll know exactly where to go and what to look for. Instead of looking for your car in particular, you’ll be locating the signposts, buildings, and other cars that will help you pinpoint the location of your car.

By doing this exercise regularly, we’ll doubt you’ll be complaining about the same thing again! A writer who shared a few mental exercises on a web site said that “any routine of exercises which causes you to think is of value. You will be amazed to find how quickly the mind will respond, and in a very short time you’ll notice marked improvement in your ability to think quickly, logically and creatively.”[11]

This writer also suggested this exercise. While driving, concentrate on the license plate of the car ahead of you. Take the license number and reduce it to a single digit by adding all the digits together. If the result you obtain has more than one digit, add them. Continue the addition until you arrive at one digit. The writer provides the example below.[12]

978 9+7+8=24= 2+4= 6; 164 1+6+4=11=1+1=2; 8998+9+9=26=2+6=8

If you come across quizzes in newspapers and magazines, do them as well. After some time, you’ll discover how much faster your brain handles information.

Neurobics

Neurobics™ is a registered trademark involving a system of exercises for the brain. These exercises make use of all five physical senses as well as the emotional sense that are intended to inject life into your old routines. According to the professor who created this concept, Dr. Lawrence C. Katz, neurobics can be practiced anywhere and can be done for fun. These exercises can stimulate underused pathways and nerve connections, thus making your mind fit and flexible.[13]

Dr. Katz based his exercises on findings obtained by neurobiology labs here and abroad. His reasoning is that just as individuals engage in fitness exercises to be fit and healthy, they can also perform exercises that will keep their minds vigorous and youthful as they grow older. He explains that brain cells develop by connecting with one another.

The belief a decade ago was that these connections were only possible during childhood and young adulthood; new research suggests, however, that even in our maturing years, the brain still has that quality of re-wiring itself. Since technology has “suppressed” the number of movements we make when doing a task (for example, the act of getting up to turn on the TV has now been replaced by a remote control), the different sensory structures of the brain have to be kept on “working mode”; otherwise, these abilities fade over time. Note that a large area of the brain processes information sent by all five senses. By doing some neurobics, we enable the brain to process these pieces of information more efficiently and more rapidly. A well-exercised brain trains us to remember names and dates more easily, learn a new computer skill or putting some creativity in our problem-solving and working lives.[14]

A neurobic exercise, according to Dr. Katz, must involve more than one sense and used in a new way that would engage our attention and add a fresh component to our everyday routine. We’ll list some of the neurobic exercises that Dr. Katz recommends. It is what he calls “cross-training” our brain.