Insuring Mental Health through Daily Exercise
Brain Calisthenics for Optimal Mental Fitness
Jul 29, 2009
The brain is not a separate organ that functions independently from the body. The health of the mind determines how healthy the body will be. A sluggish mind doped on drugs, cigarette smoke and alcohol will not lead to a healthier body. No action can occur without thought. Just like the body, the brain needs the same nutrients, exercise, fresh air, plenty of rest and a peaceful environment to insure that the mental problems of Alzheimer's, depression, anxiety and senility don't take hold.
Creativity is a necessary element that helps maintain alertness and improves memory skills. Day-to-day living provides challenges that tax mental abilities to solve problems. Those who let their problems overwhelm them, those who have accepted defeat, quickly lose their capacity to think and reason. They become the wards of the state, relying on welfare programs to care for them.
Curiosity, creativity and variety help keep the mind sharp and clear well into old age. Thankfully, there are many ways that can insure that the mind doesn't atrophy before its time.
Mental Games
Mental games are important. While the body requires the use of exercise to improve muscle flexibility, the mind needs to stay sharp through mental games that challenge logic and memory skills. Crosswords, chess and checkers create activity in the neurotransmitters of the brain that builds new new pathways and improves oxygen capacity. Just spending as little as 15 minutes every day doing word games, number puzzles such as Sudoku, logic and math challenges can be fun and stimulating.
Brain Food
The brain requires fat. Cholesterol is a major contributor for good brain health. Fish like wild salmon, mackerel and herring contain a good deal of omega 3 fatty acids, particularly useful for maintaining a healthy mind. If fish isn't preferred, flax seed is a good alternative and a good source of essential omega 3. Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are excellent sources of mono-unsaturated fat. All saturated and trans fats can be damaging to brain health.
Television and Newspapers
Today's news is filled with violence. The brain cannot function normally, if it filled with perpetual thoughts of anger, hatred and desperation. Video and computer games have their place, but too much playing has an adverse effect, dulling the mind and removing the player from the reality of living. The diet of the average person is four hours of TV per day. And too much of it does nothing to stimulate thinking ability.
Physical Exercise
It translates to better blood flow for both the body and the mind. Good exercises help improve balance and motor skills, both important brain functions. Sports activities like baseball, soccer, tennis, hockey all help the brain improve co-ordination. Walking is one of the best exercises that helps move oxygen to the brain to create alertness and improve memory.
Constant Learning
Successful people stay sharp by constantly learning new skills. They read whether it's a Shakespearian play or the latest IT advancements in computer science. They read biographies, history books and psychology. They keep abreast of developments in their chosen field. Learning simply sharpens brain skills.
Daily Challenges
Routine makes life easy, but routine can also dull the mind. The mind requires challenges. Challenge can come from simply taking a different route to work or discovering a different approach to resolving a problem other than the usual way. It means using the brain to think laterally. A challenge can come from taking an active approach to improve memory skills.
Rest and Relaxation
Like the body, the mind needs to rest periodically. Getting enough sleep is important. The stress of daily activity demands taking frequent time-outs. The simple act of relaxing often helps to find solutions for sticky problems.
Improved learning, better memory, sharper insights and problem solving are just some of the advantages that come from keeping the brain fit and healthy. And in today's troubled world a sharp mind is the one thing that many people need to restore sanity and happiness.
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