Trick #11 for Brain Fitness

     PBS Hawaii volunteer Helen Onoye, a retired State worker from Honolulu, sent me a clipping from a national unspecified publication with an article titled "Mind Stretchers: 28 Tricks to Keep Your Brain in Shape."

     At first I wondered if she thinks I'm losin' it.

     Then I saw that she'd circled Trick #11:

     "Switch the television station to PBS. The higher-level programming on public television will do more to engage your brain than any reality show or sitcom ever could. As we said, the more engaged your brain, the healthier your brain functions, including memory."

      Great! That means PBS enriches the community in yet another way. And lucky for me, I already watch it.

      Tricks on the list I didn't know:  talking with your hands leaves you more mental resources available for transferring information into memory; snacking on pumpkin seeds gives you an iron brain boost; and doing something every day that's out of your comfort zone is a perfect "weight-lifting" exercise for brain cells.

       With these brain-pumping aids, I'd BETTER remember to thank Helen next time I see her...

Comments

[brain exercises for iq training]

Aha! PBS as a brain trainer -- I love it.

Thanks, Leslie.

If you haven't already seen it, you might be interested in Susanne Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl's study on Improving Fluid Intelligence by Training Working Memory (PNAS, April 2008) which recorded increases in mental agility (fluid intelligence) of more than 40% with less than 20 days of focused brain training. This is the first study to be able to demonstrate a training effect on general intelligence.

I've been using the training myself, and can say that the results are far from subtle --- I can now tackle the Saturday crossword in the Times when before I would usually get stumped by Thursday's, and I've even noticed that my piano playing has improved. Unexpected but logical outcomes of improved cognitive ability.

Martin
PS. I'm able to go through the training because I was so impressed by the study that I contacted the research team and developed a commercial training tool based on their technique.
http://iqtesttraining.com

[Christina]

"...and doing something every day that's out of your comfort zone is a perfect "weight-lifting" exercise for brain cells."

This reminds me of how my mom would tell us to brush our teeth with our left hand sometimes (we are right-handed) to give our brains a "work-out."

[Joyce Roe Flaugher]

Aloha kakou,

Aging research suggests that learning a NEW skill increases the number of synapses in our brains. Good news for those folks who have always wanted to learn to play music or sing or anything that they don't already know.

I teach introduction and beginning ukulele to students from 6-90+ in Texas. We are sending out a joyful noise into the universe AND improving our mental health too.

My car radio is either tuned to Public Radio or I am listening to Hawaiian nahenahe music on CDs.

Malama pono,
Joyce

[Dr Hana Yin]

Brain fitness will be the big wave of this century- our brain is not set stone. You cannot teach old dogs new tricks are no longer true.

Our brain is very trainable if you you put enough attention & energy into learning.

Train your brain for a happier life today !