Even if you have been training for a long time and consider yourself an experienced athlete, you may make subtle mistakes that prevent you from becoming slimmer.

Your time is expensive, you carve out free minutes for classes in the gym, and the results are invisible? Do you get the feeling that you're running in place and you can't move forward? Well, even if you have been training for a long time and consider yourself an experienced athlete, you may make seemingly imperceptible, but glaring mistakes when doing exercises.

Fitness smart: 10 mistakes in the gym

“People, even if they have been training for a long time, can make mistakes during training that significantly affect the quality of the results,” says Konstantin Anenkov, a fitness instructor at the Olimp club, and talks about 10 major mistakes that prevent most people from achieving the desired result.

Monotone. If you perform the same exercises for a long period, your muscles adapt to them and stop responding to the load. You reach the so-called "plateau" position. In order to change the situation, it is necessary to periodically alternate the load, add new exercises or modify old ones. Change sets of exercises every 6-8 weeks, introduce 2-3 new exercises for each muscle group, do not forget about special equipment. For home workouts, these can be dumbbells, jump ropes, balls, etc.

No warm up. Do not be lazy to stretch your muscles before starting exercises, otherwise the risk of injury, sprains increases dramatically. Spend 5-10 minutes warming up.

Too fast pace. If you think that the faster you perform this or that exercise, the more calories you burn, you are mistaken. Speed ​​only increases the risk of injury. Spend an average of 6 seconds for each repetition in the exercise. By slowing down the pace, you will significantly improve your results. The same applies to swimming lessons: swimming fast does not mean correct. Pay attention to the technique of performing exercises both on land and in water.

Fitness smart: 10 mistakes in the gym

1. Too hard and intense. You will not achieve the desired result if the load is chosen incorrectly, you overestimate your strength, exercise too long and intensively and do not have time to recover due to the fact that you practice every day. On the contrary, you run the risk of minimizing the benefits you get from your workouts. In order to keep the body in good shape, it is necessary to give a cardio load for 20 minutes and then move on to exercises for individual muscle groups; These activities can be given 40-60 minutes. The harder you train, the more time your body will take to recover. Take a one-day break between classes, or alternate every other day with classes in the Pilates room.

Fitness smart: 10 mistakes in the gym

Too comfortable. When warming up on cardio, do not allow the body to constantly be in a state of comfort. Alternate the load, make the heart beat faster for a short period of time than with ordinary exercises. For example, when exercising on a treadmill, spend 10 minutes warming up the muscles, then for a period of 30 seconds to 1 minute - depending on the preparation - increase the speed of running or the angle of the track, then go to an easy or moderate pace for 1-3 minutes and again alternate them for 10-20 minutes.

. You will not notice any positive changes from strength training if the equipment used is too light or, conversely, too heavy. If you are set up for intensive training, the shells (for example, dumbbells) will be correctly selected, the fatigue from the exercises with which you feel after 4–6 repetitions, to check the correct weight of the shells during medium intensity exercises, do 8–12 repetitions. Over time, increase their weight by 5-10%.

Load redistribution. Do not round your back when doing bends and exercises with dumbbells. A rounded back and lack of fixation in the hips during the exercise put too much stress on the spine and slow down the training of the back muscles.

Fitness smart: 10 mistakes in the gym

Make sure that when doing exercises on the press, the main load is not transferred to the muscles of the neck.

Fitness smart: 10 mistakes in the gym

1. Mistake in the head. The wrong attitude to training can minimize the success of even perfectly executed exercises from a technical point of view. Avoid four main barriers:

– Looping on numbers. During classes, do not constantly count burning calories, do not be nervous because over the past two days the volume of problem areas has not decreased by 5 cm, do not stand on the scales every five minutes after doing this or that exercise. Focus on the surge of strength and energy you experience while exercising.– Don't think about injuries thoughts are translated into reality.

inconstancy. Training should be regular - this is the key to success. The option, when in one week you visit the gym four times, skip the next one, and in another week you come once, will not allow you to achieve great success. It is advisable to exercise regularly at least twice a week.

Plentiful lunches and dinners. After playing sports, metabolic processes are accelerated, the body begins to require more food. Watch yourself. Do not overeat, so as not to minimize the results of training: adhere to the principles of proper nutrition!

By following our simple rules, you can always be in great shape!

"A well-built brain is worth more than a well-filled brain."

The more developed the brain, the faster we make decisions, react to stress, think critically - and fortunately, today training the brain (intelligence, memory) is a topic that is almost catching up in popularity with fitness and healthy lifestyles.

To develop the brain means to put it in atypical and unusual situations. Scientists describe the process of “pumping up” the brain as follows: new synapses form between neurons, the cerebral cortex becomes thicker (and more sinuous), the substance of the brain sprouts with new capillaries, axons begin to conduct nerve signals faster, thus, functional connections between individual brain structures are strengthened.

So, 15 practices!

1. Get out of your comfort zone

If the muscles love the accuracy of actions, a given number of repetitions, a clear schedule, then the brain prefers everything exactly the opposite: it is intolerable to routine work, lack of impressions, familiar surroundings.

The more difficult it is for you to decide on any changes in your life (even in small things) - the more you really need it.

2. Learn to speak

Hearing once again from a friend: “How are you?”, “What's new?”, Come up with new phrases every time - give up stereotypes in communication, as they say, “break the pattern” of a boring interlocutor. Of course, do not forget about politeness.

If you approach everything spoken creatively, from different angles, you thereby stimulate the memory and speech center in the brain - the left temporal region of Wernicke's and Broca's areas.

Tell stories or start a vlog. Learn storytelling. Today we have a lot of technologies in our service, so you shouldn't come up with excuses - it's better to look for opportunities for development. If you don't like the camera - just talk more and read aloud to each other. Remember that famous line from the movie:

"All is not lost and life is not over as long as you have a friend and a couple of stories to tell."

3. Develop the senses

Move around your own apartment or take a shower with your eyes closed. Try to feel the value of the coins in your pocket by touch. Try Braille, a reading and writing system for the blind. Although these exercises look rather strange, you will make new sensory areas of the brain that are usually underused or not worked intensively. In the end, arrange days with your family to communicate in sign language.

4. Take up music. Or math

Neuroscientists have found that some departments are activated in response to actions that seem to be completely different in nature. For example, while solving mathematical problems and listening to music, you can register similar activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex of the brain.

Today, scientists have every reason to believe that music involves more departments and areas of the brain than any other activity.

5. Take different routes

as show latest research physiologists, this develops spatial memory and even contributes to an increase in the size of the hippocampus.

And the Scandinavians have a saying: “Returning the same way, you gradually turn into a ghost.”

6. Learn languages

The data obtained by scientists shows that the brain grows when learning languages, and in the most literal sense of the word. Its separate areas of the hippocampus and some parts of the cerebral cortex grow. But that's not all: in bilinguals and polyglots, the brain is so good at working with new information that they become capable of more multitasking and can easily solve several different problems in their minds in parallel.

Let's say more: those who took the time to learn (even if conversational level) any language other than their native language is given an average five-year "respite" from dementia caused by Alzheimer's syndrome. To date, the preventive effect that the study of languages ​​has is much stronger than any medicinal methods of treating this disease.

7. Trick your brain

Do the usual things in an unexpected way, Swap hands, try to brush your teeth, write, draw, type on the keyboard, hold the spoon with your left hand. If you are left-handed, then vice versa. Aerobatics - computer mouse.

While you are doing familiar things in an unusual way, there is an activation of the motor cortex - ("transferred" from the left hemisphere of the brain to the right), which has a beneficial effect on your abilities. There are even such tricks as creating artificial physical inconvenience for yourself, for example, walking around the house in a slipper on one foot and in a high-heeled shoe on the other, and after a while change their places.

8. Get into the habit of aerobic training

If we talk about very difficult things, then there are pathological processes (many of which are caused, among other things, by an immobile lifestyle), which literally kill the functioning cellular structures of the brain. Of course, this does not happen in one day, but originating at a relatively young age, the symptoms of brain fading become noticeable already at a fairly mature age.

Moderate exercise, at least 150 minutes a week (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise), plus daily walking of at least 500 meters. This practice increases the volume of the cerebral cortex in the frontal and parietal areas, which are responsible for memory, attention and switching from one task to another.

Here is a diagram that American scientists compiled based on an analysis of tomography data from adolescent and elderly subjects:

And you must admit: it is much easier to accustom yourself to physical activity while you are still in your prime.

9. Do something “impossible” for yourself

Of course, scientists published research back in 2013 showing that the left and right hemispheres are more dependent on each other than previously thought, and in almost all complex processes they work together. But the stereotype about "techies" and "humanities" is still very strong, and it really often works. You can, considering yourself a 100% logician, a "techie", think that you will never be able to, for example, dance, draw or take pictures. But in vain.

It is a well-known fact that brilliant ideas and solutions often come from people who do not know the rules (and therefore do not follow the generally accepted taboos).

10. Get creative

It can come in handy anywhere - from creative solutions in everyday life to career and business. Steve Jobs said, “Creativity is just making connections between things.

When creative people are asked how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't actually do anything, they just noticed." Creativity exercises look strange, but we assure you that the brain really strains to its fullest when doing them.

Here is one such exercise. We take a sheet of paper and draw crosses. For starters, 6 in height and 9 in length are enough. You can also print this picture:

Now we tune in to a creative wave, take a pen and start turning crosses into pictures and small sketches. It is impossible to repeat, and the prerequisite is the use of this particular element.

The task may look different, for example, like this:

Or like this:

Similar forms for the development of creativity can be found on the Internet, in a variety of ways.

11. Keep a diary

Firstly, keeping a diary will help put things in order, and secondly, it will help you better understand yourself. Moreover, the more eloquent is the description of everything experienced during the day - describe the sounds, smells, tactile sensations - the more useful it will be for the brain. In addition, it also helps to develop creativity quickly.

Back in the 20s of the last century, scientists, having studied in detail the biographies of more than three hundred historical geniuses (such as Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Jefferson, Johann Sebastian Bach), discovered striking coincidences in the habits of these people. One of the signs of genius, scientists called the tendency to eloquently describe their feelings and thoughts in a diary, in poetry, in letters to friends and family.

12. Develop working memory

In addition to long-term and short-term memory, the so-called working memory is also distinguished, in which information about what we are doing right now is stored and processed. It ensures our efficiency in conditions when we are inundated with a stream of incoming tasks: calculations, communication with clients, answering letters, calls, and small decisions. And results latest research evidence that a good working memory score is more useful on the way up the career ladder than a dry IQ score. Working memory capacity is limited. Usually only 7-9 elements are stored there at a time.

Here is one of the exercises for its development. Say the name of the color in which these words are written:

For the development of working memory, it is also very useful to solve simple mathematical problems, add or multiply numbers in your head, or memorize sequences of words and symbols.

13. Do Weird Exercises

Some of them are well known to us since childhood, but if you try to do it now, you will understand how exciting it is.

Exercise "Ear-nose". It looks very funny, but worth it. With the left hand we take the tip of the nose, and with the right hand - the opposite ear, i.e. left. Release your ear and nose at the same time, clap your hands, change the position of your hands "exactly the opposite." You will understand that in childhood it turned out better.

Exercise "Mirror drawing". Lay a clean sheet of paper on the table, take a pencil in each hand. Try to draw a vase. Or draw mirror-symmetrical drawings with both hands at the same time or write letters. When doing this exercise, you will feel the relaxation of the eyes and hands, because the simultaneous work of both hemispheres improves the efficiency of the whole brain.

Exercise "Alphabet". Look at the double rows of letters, where the letters L, P or V are written under each letter of the alphabet. Now the most interesting. You pronounce the upper letter, and indicate the lower one with a movement. L - the left hand rises to the left side, R - the right hand rises to the right side, B - both hands rise up. The exercise is performed in sequence from the first letter to the last, then from the last letter to the first.

14. Develop fine motor skills

Scientists have convincingly proven the relationship between finger motor skills and speech function. Sometimes, in order to grow more neurons, it is enough to invent a hobby related to motor skills: learn to knit, weave from beads, embroider or create origami.

15. And, finally, fingering.

Some exercises for the brain and the development of certain areas of it seem strange, but believe me: your brain will be grateful for such a charge. Fingering, or finger gymnastics, is an incredibly useful practice. It is often used in pedagogy and rehabilitation. It is also practiced by yogis, in whose community such manipulations are called “mudras”. This video describes four exercises to develop fine motor skills and increase concentration.

Just try to repeat it. If you are a guitarist or a piano player, you will surely be able to do this with ease. The rest - patience and success!

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Read a book a day and finish work faster ###Speed ​​up oral counting, NOT mental arithmetic Secret and popular tricks and life hacks, suitable even for a child. From the course, you will not only learn dozens of tricks for simplified and fast multiplication, addition, multiplication, division, calculating percentages, but also work them out in special tasks and educational games! Mental counting also requires a lot of attention and concentration, which are actively trained in solving interesting problems. ###Money and the mindset of a millionaire Why are there problems with money? In this course, we will answer this question in detail, look deep into the problem, consider our relationship with money from a psychological, economic and emotional point of view. From the course, you will learn what you need to do to solve all your financial problems, start saving money and invest it in the future. ##Online brain fitness games Here are some powerful brain fitness games. Some of them you can play right on this page! ###Pyatnashki [Pyatnashki](/pyatnashki) is a great way to stretch your brain for the whole day! A game very suitable for **brain fitness**. The game [pyatnashki](/pyatnashki) is a square board divided into 16 identical square sections. You have 15 square tiles numbered accordingly. The knuckles are located inside the box out of order, that is. There is one free section left. @*!.png)*@ The essence of this game is to put the bones in order, namely, to arrange the numbers one after the other from top to bottom, from left to right, therefore, the empty square should be from the bottom right. The game will help you develop logical thinking, memory. You will develop the ability to calculate moves ahead without errors. Let's play? ###Schulte tables [Schulte tables](/speedreading/schulte/) are specifically designed for this. The main thing is to look in the center of the table and look for the next number. At first it can be very difficult, therefore, different modes are provided: simple, easy - with the selection of the found numbers and training - the simulator itself highlights the necessary numbers. Try it right now: ###Memory Matrix Game 1. Develops memory capacity 2. Improves visual memory 3. Improves spatial memory Immediately after the start, a field with several filled cells will appear on the screen. In 3 seconds, you need to remember which cells are painted over, and click on them when the field is cleared. With almost every successful round, the field expands. How more cells you need to remember - the more efficiently memory develops and more points are earned. The first results will be after 10 minutes of the game. !.jpg) Play now ###Stroop's Challenge - Reboot Game For example, I'd like to recommend the Stroop's Challenge - Reboot game to start with. The goal of the game is that you will need to choose 1 of 2 offered cards by determining whether the name of the color on the first matches the color on the second. You can pass without a single mistake by showing good time? Let's try! !.jpg) Play now ##Entertainment site site - an entertaining site dedicated to **brain fitness** with a bunch of games, simulators and developmental exercises@*, puzzles, tests and other interesting goodies*@. Our site gives you the opportunity to keep your brain active and flexible thanks to its games. Yes, that's right, games. They also develop various skills, such as: [Memory](/memory/), [Mental calculation](/math/), thinking, orientation, reaction, logic, attention and much more. We also offer our partner's website where you can find many interesting games that suit your taste: Reading philosophical books is also a great **fitness for the brain**, where you need to think and analyze a lot, and in combination with [speed reading] (/ speedreading/) this practice is mind boggling.:-) And since we are talking about [speed reading](/speedreading/), I offer our course, which will help you develop and, what is most interesting, synchronize both hemispheres of the brain. With synchronized, joint work of both hemispheres, the brain starts to work many times faster, which opens up many more possibilities. The course contains a large number of exercises for **brain fitness**, because with a fast reading speed, you still need to have time to understand, remember and sometimes even think about information! ###Game "Piggy Bank" I can't help but recommend you the game "Piggy Bank" from the same site where you need to register with only E-mail and password. 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The screenshot shows an example of this game, in which there will be a question related to the picture, and you will have to answer. Time is limited. How many times can you answer? !.jpg) Play Now ###Brain Fitness VK **Brain Fitness VKontakte**! Link to [our VKontakte group] (https://vk.com/brain_fitness_games), Here you can see many interesting publications related to mental development, the development of memory and individual qualities, **brain fitness**. Join and grow with us! ###The game "Geometric Adventures" 1. Develops concentration 2. Improves switching of attention 3. Trains quick wits This game will help improve the combination of qualities: attention + reaction. Try to answer the questions in the picture as quickly as possible. At first, it can be a bit tricky as the game tries to confuse the questions. Be careful :) !.jpg) Play now ##Puzzle A genre of games, the purpose of which is to find a solution to a logical problem using your logic, strategy and perhaps intuition. 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And on our side, providing **fitness for your brain** in a playful way. ###Game "Complex Sorting" 1. Trains concentration 2. Develops logic 3. Improves creativity After starting the game, four figures will appear on the screen, you need to choose a figure that completely matches or completely does not match in shape and color. The faster you answer, the more benefit from the training, the more points and the more often new records are obtained. !.jpg)

Ability to concentrate on small details, navigate the flow of information, instantly respond to changing situations and quickly make effective decisions - important skills that help businessmen achieve their goals. And in order to develop such business qualities in yourself and pump your mind, you need to regularly do special exercises for the brain, the so-called fitness for the head!

In the same way that muscles atrophy without exercise, the human brain weakens without various mental activities. Conversely, the more you train it, the more neural connections are formed in it, and the higher the activity of the brain, the more oxygen-rich blood enters it. And on this, in fact, the intellectual health of a person depends.

In order for the brain to function effectively, it is important to specifically activate the growth of neural connections through new experiences. During the period of study at school, university, the amount of new information made it possible to steadily train the brain. But for an adult, whose life and work is dominated by routine processes, in order to keep the intellect in good shape, one has to resort to stimulation.
with the help of special exercises for brain development. Therefore, it is so important to learn how to solve typical problems using non-standard methods.

Improving memory and brain function: the best exercises

To begin with, it is important to note that in order to properly pump the brain and develop the flexibility of the mind, it is important to pay attention to nutrition, habits and lifestyle in general. Fresh air, healthy sleep, physical activity and healthy food have not yet been canceled. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired result, it is necessary first of all to pay attention to these important factors.

Effective brain training is exercises that are aimed at developing memory, attentiveness, as well as separately the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

The main specialization of the left hemisphere is logical thinking. It is also responsible for such important abilities:

• language and speech;
• logic, analysis;
• literal understanding of words;
• mathematical ability;
• sequential information processing.

Also, the left hemisphere controls the movements of the right side of the body, and the right - for the left side.

In turn, the right hemisphere is responsible for intuition and creativity, and also performs the following functions:

• processing of non-verbal information;
• orientation in space;
• musicality;
• recognition of metaphorical meanings;
• imagination, artistic abilities;
• emotions;
• parallel processing of information;
• face recognition.

So, how to develop the right hemisphere of the brain? These exercises will help you increase your intuition and creativity.

Mirror drawing

Take a large sheet of paper and a pencil in each hand. Start drawing the same shapes at the same time with your right and left hand. At first it can be circles, loops, squares. Over time, the task needs to be complicated - to depict full-fledged pictures with both hands.

Restoring Reality to the Imagination

The key point in the development of the right hemisphere of the brain is visualization exercises. It is important to connect the imagination, visual, auditory and olfactory memory. First, get rid of extraneous irritants and close your eyes. Think of a person you know well: facial features, hair and eye color. After you create in the imagination of his face, try to recall the sound of his voice and the smell of perfume from memory. Work out the image in as much detail as possible.

When you learn how to restore images of people, you need to move on, creating a whole parallel reality in fantasy. Such a set of exercises greatly develops creativity, creative vision, and imagination.

random words

The essence of the exercise is to choose several completely random words and connect them with a story. At first, it will be difficult for you, and to connect these words, you will need a couple of long sentences. But in the course of training, you will be able to connect seemingly unrelated words with just a couple of phrases.

Besides, creative thinking can be developed through mandala drawing. The intricate pattern of all the colors of the rainbow perfectly calms the nerves, concentrates attention and develops artistic perception.

Speaking about training the left hemisphere of the brain, first of all, we mean solving mathematical problems, crossword puzzles, rebuses, as well as logic games such as chess. It is important to note exactly what
The left hemisphere is dominant in most people. Therefore, it does not make sense to develop it separately. In this case, it is better to apply complex exercises for the brain of an adult.

Neurobics

This is such a charge for the brain with exercises that include all five senses at once. The technique was developed by the American neuroscientist L. Katz. The bottom line is this: all ordinary things need to be done in an unusual way for you. For example:

• move around the house with closed eyes;
• write with your left hand (if you are right-handed);
• change the usual route;
• inhale and savor the aroma of food, flowers, perfumes;
• determine things by touch (for example, the denomination of a coin);
• perform unfamiliar work;
• answer non-standard questions, etc.

Unusual actions, sensations, smells, environment provoke the emergence of new neural connections, which, in turn, helps the development of intellectual abilities.

color words

Useful gymnastics for the brain or mindfulness exercise. It helps to increase the level of concentration, improves attention, develops both hemispheres of the brain.

So, your task is to quickly name the color of the words. At first glance, everything is simple, but try to do it as quickly as possible, and the left hemisphere will immediately begin to concentrate on the words, confusing you. You need to synchronize the work of both hemispheres.

Alphabet

This is an exercise to develop thinking, attention and improve performance. In addition, Alphabet helps to relieve emotional stress and restart the brain.

The work is as follows. Under each letter there is a mark - L, P, V. "L" means that you need to raise left hand, "P" - right, "B" - both hands. You need to simultaneously pronounce the letter of the alphabet and perform the movement marked under the letter.

The first part of the exercise is to go from A to Z. The second part is from Z to A.

Illogical chain

This exercise is a test for training the brain and memory. Look carefully at the list of words for 90 seconds. A little tip: break the words into pairs and try to connect them with the help of visual associations.

Try to play all the words in order. If you can’t, then write on a piece of paper all the words that you remember. Now let's count: from 15 to 20 words - your memory is well developed. 10-14 words - the average result. Less than 10 - you absolutely do not know how to use memory.

Perform these simple exercises for the brain, and soon you will notice a qualitative improvement in the work of both hemispheres, memory and thinking.

Instead of a conclusion

To train the mind, it is enough to do routine things in unusual ways, perform new actions, read more, play mind games. A great way to develop flexibility of thinking is to study foreign languages and music lessons. This encourages the brain to actively produce new neural connections, which means to work actively and efficiently.

To systematize classes to improve intellectual health, you can use special online services that offer dozens of different exercises, tasks, tests for the development of thinking.

Write in the comments what useful exercises for the brain do you know? Share with us your experience!

Incredible Facts

The brain is an amazing machine that we still know very little about. Memory is an even bigger mystery. You may be afraid to forget the time of an important meeting, but you still remember the smell of your grandmother's apple pie or the inner plot twists of your favorite novel. This is because memory is selective. We remember or forget certain things based on a complex set of emotions, interest and meaning for us in this or that thing.

When new information enters the brain, it causes a surge chemical substances and the arrival of new electrical signals. The more cells are involved in the process of communication, the more information will be deposited in the brain. Short-term memory causes temporary responses in the brain, but long-term memory causes anatomical changes in our main organ. These are visible changes: scanning your brain today and tomorrow will show different pictures, because new information enters the brain every day.

Exist simple ways, by practicing which, you can improve the functioning of your brain. Experts believe that we can work on our brain as well as our body. Keep your brain in top shape and your memory, and with it your learning ability, will improve dramatically.

10. Reduce stress

Everyone has moments of stress in their lives. You constantly keep a large number of thoughts in your head, you have before your eyes a list of things to do, buy, bring, etc. You pack everything you need, walk out the door and realize you forgot your car keys. When you're stressed and overwhelmed, it's harder for your brain to remember the most basic tasks.

Memory works by repetition. Need to remember a name or phone number? Most likely, you will repeat the received information several times in order to remember it. As a rule, this method works effectively except when a person is under stress. Stress acts as white noise and wave interference that interrupts the normal process that helps you remember certain things. When you are under stress, your thoughts circulate erratically and your memory becomes selective. The only thing your brain “thinks” about at such moments is how to survive. Forgot your car keys? Maybe your brain is telling you it's time to take a break.

So the next time you feel like you're under stress, take a little break. Spend some time outdoors, take your dog for a walk or have lunch with a friend, taking a bath with scented candles can be very helpful.

9. Eat Better

According to Steven Pratt, author of Super Foods: 14 Foods That Will Change Your Life, certain foods can protect your body and brain from cumulative aging. One such product is blueberries. Blueberries have been shown to protect the brain from oxidative stress and improve learning abilities. Salmon is another important food for the brain, as it contains important omega-3 fatty acids that transmit brain signals, which in turn means that the brain becomes healthier.

Nuts and seeds are also good brain foods due to their high content of vitamin E, which is essential for the maintenance and preservation of cognitive function as we age. Avocados, beans, and pomegranate juice will also help you keep your brain fit by reducing blood pressure, by maintaining good energy levels and by charging you with powerful amounts of antioxidants.

You can end your day with a cup of freshly brewed tea and 1 ounce of dark chocolate to improve your mood and focus.

8. Take Vitamins and Special Supplements

There is a lot of controversy regarding the advisability of using herbal and vitamin supplements to improve memory and brain performance. The study of the effectiveness of a particular type of herb is independent, that is, it is carried out by private companies. However, according to many experts, there are two key supplements that can help your brain. One of them is ginkgo biloba. Although not all studies agree on the properties of this herb, ginkgo appears to improve memory in the elderly, help treat dementia, improve blood flow to the brain, and improve cognitive function.

The second supplement is folic acid. It is actually used in the treatment of brain damage and plays an important role in a person's mental health. Studies have shown that people who have low levels of folic acid in their bodies experience a deeper degree of depression. What's more, about 38 percent of people suffering from depression have low levels of folic acid in their bodies.

7. Get enough sleep

Sleep less, get … dumber? More or less like this. Researchers have long known that any test, like any task, is more efficiently performed after a person has a good night's sleep. Experts are now discovering that sleep has a much stronger effect on our intelligence than previously thought. Sleep (or lack thereof) can affect three types of memory: procedural (how to do something), declarative (reminding details and key information), and episodic (reminding events in your own life).

Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation not only makes it difficult for you to remember what you already know, but also makes you unable to absorb new information. Therefore, if someone tells you their phone number, most likely you will not remember it if you did not sleep well the night before or, even worse, you have been suffering from lack of sleep for a long time. Among other things, the body of people who are deprived of sufficient sleep contains more than high level cortisol (stress hormone).

There is no "magic number" when we are talking about the number of hours you need to devote to sleep in order to improve brain function. Generally, 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended for an adult, but you may need more or less depending on your own rhythm. It's probably worth trying a few options to find exactly what you need. Too much sleep can make you feel overwhelmed, as can too little sleep, so you have to find your own balance.

6. Do something creative

Painting, clay sculpting, or dancing is great brain fitness. In fact, many experts emphasize that art has an important impact on a person even in childhood, in order to help a child develop memory, better know the world and people.

The brain needs constant stimulation to stay active. If you stop giving him new food for thought, or stop doing something new, then he slows down in development and ages faster. To achieve the most effective result, training should be a difficult task, if it is too easy for you, then there will be very little sense from it. As soon as something becomes easy, the level automatically decreases. Do something new and interesting, but make sure the activity itself is rewarding.

5. Exercise your body

Experts would recommend playing sports for years. Exercise for weight loss lowers cholesterol levels and prevents the development of heart disease. But what about exercising and getting smarter in the process? Or overcome depression, lack of energy and even attention deficit disorder? New research shows that exercise can do more than just keep your body fit. They can also improve brain health. Just 12 minutes of exercise a day can help improve your concentration and focus and increase your sense of well-being.

Exercise increases the production of two hormones: dopamine and serotonin. The effect is so amazing that experts recommend sports as one of the most effective ways fight depression. Of course, if you're depressed, you probably feel tired and unmotivated all the time. The last thing you want is to go for a run or go to the gym. You don't have to do everything the experts say, find something you enjoy and do it regularly. Love to go hiking, play with your dog or dance? Then go ahead. Any such action will stimulate the work of your nervous system and help you relax by letting go of tension, frustration or anger.

4. Exercise your brain

Do you think exercise is only for your body? Think again. The brain has the ability to constantly learn while it is alive. The more you stimulate him to work, the faster and better you will be able to memorize new information. Brain exercises don't have to be difficult. For example, you will probably puzzle your brain if you begin to perform habitual actions with the other hand. If you are right-handed, try, for example, holding the fork with your left hand, etc. Since you are not used to it, your brain will be more active in order to complete this task.

In 1999, Lawrence Katz, professor of neuroscience at Duke University, created a system called "neurobics". Neurobics is a set of exercises for the brain that make it work actively, increasing its "professional fitness". Any activity that involves all of your five senses is essentially neuroscience for the brain. For example, try dressing for work in the morning with your eyes closed. Can you guess what kind of clothes are in front of you, focusing only on the smell? You can also try to "confuse" your brain by taking an unfamiliar route on your way back from work. You can do the same by rearranging the furniture in your home.

Not ready to run into walls while moving around with your eyes closed? A study by the University of Chicago Medical Center found that crosswords and puzzles can also help your brain be stronger, and even help delay dementia.

3. Avoid hazardous chemicals

Abuse of alcohol, nicotine and drugs significantly affects the functioning of the brain. According to the US National Institutes of Health, certain substances can cause a range of changes in areas of the brain responsible for memory, judgment, coordination, and sensation. Long-term alcohol and drug abuse can cause brain cells to die. This impairs our memory and can affect sleep, appetite, and emotional expression, as well as the ability to learn and retain new information.

Amazing but not only bad habits harm the brain. Heavy metals have a similar, if not greater, effect on memory and cognition. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that lead exposure leads to lower IQ and causes progressive mental decline. Mercury poisoning was known in the past as "hatter's rabies" because hat manufacturers used mercury in their production, which led to the development of side effects in people such as irritability, memory lapses and blurred vision.

Exposure to heavy metals is common among people working in mines or incinerators. However, heavy metals can be found in unexpected places. For example, fish can contain mercury because the river water they live in is polluted. Buying farm-raised fish won't protect your brain from mercury ingestion either.

2. Drink coffee

Despite the many downsides that surround coffee, when it comes to your brain, a daily cup of coffee will only do the trick. Experts have long argued that coffee increases energy levels and improves short-term memory, however, a new study shows that drinking coffee also improves reaction time and improves a person's ability to process information.

During the experiment, experts observed participants who, after drinking a large cup of coffee, were able to plan and control their activities better, could concentrate better and recall more information than those who drank a placebo.

Other studies have shown that coffee may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and other dementias. It also protects the brain from the effects of cholesterol and is a powerful ally in the fight against neurological disorders.

You don't have to drink five cups of coffee a day, just one cup of coffee in the morning will help protect your brain and energize you.

1. Meditate

Research shows that meditation can help slow down some aspects of cognitive aging. In a small study led by experts from University of Technology in Dalian, China, it was found that meditation, like no other form of relaxation activity, including deep breathing exercises, caused changes in the participants' brains. These effects, moreover, are noticeable even after a few short sessions in people who have never practiced meditation.

While the study was small and the results are preliminary, experts believe meditation may be a useful tool for preventing and treating certain types of mental disorders. Another study has shown that meditation can help relieve anxiety, improve concentration and free a person from negative thoughts, among other things, meditation is a good stimulator of human immune functions.

It can be formal or informal and can also be easily combined with yoga or tai chi to improve your fitness.