These daily exercises can make you smarter

We all want to live as long as possible, but to fully enjoy our golden years we need to be completely compos mentis. Just like our bodies, our brains need to work out on a regular basis. Here are 20 exercises that will help you keep your brain fit and healthy.

1. Exercise your body

It has been established that regular physical exercise helps maintain our cognitive faculties. The increase in blood flow while working out feeds our neurons with oxygen and nutrients that keep them healthy. No need to run a marathon—simple daily walks are enough to get the benefit.

2. Try new things

The Alzheimer Society recommends varying your routine to stimulate your brain. For example, try out a new activity, or switch hands when doing a familiar activity to change things up.

3. Study

Research has shown that the longer you have spent studying, the longer your brain stays sharp.

4. Keep learning

No need to take on a PhD to keep your brain healthy. You can continue learning by signing up for classes offered locally. It’s never too late to learn how to play an instrument, or learn a new language.

5. Challenge your brain

Not all cognitive activities are equally difficult or stimulating. Some require much less effort. For example, watching TV is the equivalent of gentle exercise for the brain, whereas solving a puzzle is more like brain boot camp. Try to go for less passive activities.

6. Play games

Do you like Sudoku? Well, good news—you’re not wasting your time, whatever your children might think! According to the Alzheimer Society, puzzles, crosswords and word searches are all activities that stimulate your brain.

7. Pick up the phone

To maintain friendships when distance is an issue, simply pick up the phone. As a bonus, trying to learn the phone numbers of your loved ones off by heart will help train your memory.

8. Clench your fists

A recent study has shown that clenching your fists stimulates neuronal activity in the frontal lobe, the part of your brain in charge of language. By clenching your left fist for 90 seconds, you’ll stimulate the right hemisphere and vice versa. A good exercise to do while watching TV, which is a passive activity.