5 Habits That Will Help Your
Brain Stay in Peak Condition
Train your brain, change your brain
Written by Thomas Oppong
Nothing about our brains is set in stone. Our brains are
surprisingly dynamic. It can adapt, heal, renew or rewire itself.
What you do or don’t do daily is literally changing your brain for
better or worse. But it’s not too late rejuvenate, remodel, and
reshape your brain to stay in peak condition.
Experiments in neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to change in
response to experience) have proven that the brain is capable of
modifying itself, either by changing its structure, increasing and
reducing its size or altering its biochemistry.
Can you physically change your brain at any age? The answer is:
yes, within limits. You can start with these science-backed
activities and habits.
1
Juggling improves the brain’s grey
matter
Yes, the simple act of juggling has recently been linked with better
brain function. A new study reveals that learning to juggle may
cause certain areas of your brain to grow.
The study found that volunteers who participated in a juggling
exercise improved white matter in two areas of their brains
involved in visual and motor activity.
‘We have demonstrated that there are changes in the white matter
of the brain — the bundles of nerve fibres that connect different
parts of the brain — as a result of learning an entirely new
skill,’ explains Dr Heidi Johansen-Berg of the Department of
Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, who led the work.
‘In fact, we find the structure of the brain is ripe for change. We’ve
shown that it is possible for the brain to condition its own wiring
system to operate more efficiently, ’ she added.
Four weeks after the study, the researchers found that new white
matter in the jugglers’ brains had stayed put and the amount of
grey matter had even increased.
The researchers chose juggling as a complex new skill for people to
learn. Juggling is one of the many activities you can choose to help
your brain improve its grey matter.
2
Never go to bed without learning one
new thing, your brain will notice: stretch
your brain muscles
It’s a Spanish saying. It’s profound and so true.
Juggling is not the only activity you can use to build white matter.
You can learn a variety of new things that are unrelated to what
you normally do. Variety is key.. meet new people, learn a new
skill, learn to dance, take up drawing, design, etc. Do something
every day that stretches you and makes you somewhat
uncomfortable.
Norman Doidge, explains in his book, “The Brain That Changes
Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain
Science”, “Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that
involve genuine concentration — studying a musical instrument,
playing board games, reading, and dancing — are associated with a
lower risk for dementia. Dancing, which requires learning new
moves, is both physically and mentally challenging and requires
much concentration.”
Learning a new language makes the brain grow by increasing grey
matter in the areas related to the use of language, according to
research. The study revealed that “The right hippocampus and the
left superior temporal gyrus were structurally more malleable in
interpreters acquiring higher proficiency in the foreign language.”
Leaning at least one new thing not only improves your brain, but it
also helps you focus by ignoring irrelevant information.
Don’t do what you’ve always done.
3
Sleeping poorly is linked to rapid
reductions in brain volume
Many people don’t take good sleep seriously. The bad news is that
if you sleep poorly, your brain shrinks.
That was the surprising conclusion reached by Claire E. Sexton,
DPhil, Andreas B. Storsve, MSc, Kristine B. Walhovd, PhD, Heidi
Johansen-Berg, DPhil, and Anders M. Fjell, PhD in their study to
examine the relationship between sleep quality and cortical and
hippocampal volume.
The findings showed that having trouble sleeping, or not getting
enough sleep is linked to rapid reductions in brain volume. The
decline can affect important areas of the brain where language,
touch, balance and the ability to calculate mathematically or make
decisions reside.
“Studies have shown poor sleep can cause protein buildup in the
brain that attacks brain cells. So we’re still trying to put the puzzle
together,” says Dr Neal Maru, a neurologist and sleep specialist
with Integrated Sleep Services in Alexandria, Virginia, who is not
associated with the study.
Sleep repair and restore the brain. Improving your sleep habits
could be an important way to improve brain health. 7–8
hours/night of good sleep is essential for stimulating new
connections and brain growth.
4
Any form of exercise rewires the brain:
keep your body active
You already know that physical activity is important for your
better health. Exercise also helps your cerebral quality that affects
memory, motor skills, and the ability to learn.
In fact, just pedalling on a stationary bike for 30 minutes can do
wonders for your brain. In a study to determine whether
hippocampal volume would increase with exercise in humans, the
researchers discovered an increase in hippocampal size.
“Following exercise training, relative hippocampal volume
increased significantly in patients (12%) and healthy subjects
(16%), with no change in the nonexercise group of patients (-1%),”
they revealed.
Exercise the brain in many areas. It increases your heart rate,
which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also helps release body
hormones, which provide a nourishing environment for the
growth of brain cells.
Indirectly, it also improves mood, sleep and reduces stress and
anxiety.
In another study, Dr Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and
Women’s Hospital and an instructor in neurology at Harvard
Medical School said, “Even more exciting is the finding that
engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity
over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the
volume of selected brain regions.”
Any form of aerobic exercise that gets your heart pumping is a
great start. Apart from hitting the gym, you can also consider
adding walking to your daily routine. Other moderate-intensity
exercises, such as swimming, stair climbing, tennis, or dancing can
also help.
5
Mindfulness is becoming a global
phenomenon for a good reason
People have sworn by meditation for millennia. It’s now supported
by rigorous scientific research, driven in part by a desire for new
practices to improve our mental health.
The simple idea of being present throughout your day, being more
conscious of life as it happens, and noticing any tension or
preoccupations of the mind, without judging or analysing can
improve your mental health. It’s highly effective in combating
stress.
Studies report that meditation can “permanently rewire” your
brain to raise levels of happiness. “In the past decade, research has
shown that the benefits of mindfulness include: stress reduction,
improved concentration, boosts to working memory, reduced
rumination, less emotional reactivity, more cognitive flexibility, a
higher level of relationship satisfaction, etc.” writes Christopher
Bergland of Psychology Today.
Our brains are on auto-pilot most of the time. Begin to notice the
world around you. Awaken your senses to the world around you.
You can upgrade our brain in many different ways. Adopting
better habits will not only increase your brain’s grey matter, but it
will also slow cognitive decline, speed up your memory recall and
improve your mental health.
WRITTEN BY
Thomas Oppong
Founder @AllTopStartups | Featured at Business Insider, Forbes,
etc.