When was the last time you put time and effort into keeping your mind sharp? Our behaviors today can affect the way our brains age, and impact cognitive decline. “Research shows that learning new activities increases cognitive reserve in our brain,” says Jonathan Drake, MD, via Brown Health. “It stimulates new connections between nerve cells, and helps the brain generate new cells. New learning is the best for building cognitive reserve.” While any type of new learning can positively impact brain health, the best one is the one you can do every day. Here’s what the experts say.
RELATED: The Thing You Should Do Every Day for Better Brain Health.
Cross Train Your Brain
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Experts recommend exercising the brain the same way you would fitness training. “Maintaining a strong memory is not all about brain games like Sudoku, Wordle and crossword puzzles,” neuroscience researcher and brain health expert Marc Milstein, PhD, tells TODAY. “Learning skills and acquiring information are much more effective ways to make new connections in the brain. The more connections you make, the more likely you are to retain and even enhance your memory.”
Mix It Up
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Try different types of mental activities every day, mixing it up. “You want to work out different muscles on different days,” Dr. Milstein says. “The same goes for the brain. Over the course of this week, try cross-training your brain by mixing mental activities (learning a new language or reading a book) and physical learning activities (playing tennis or soccer).”
Challenge Yourself
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Challenging yourself is key—try a new workout, or practice learning a new language—get out of your comfort zone. “I think a lot of us get into routines and habits where we’re doing the same old thing each day,” Jason Shepherd, an associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Utah, tells Business Insider. “But learning new things helps with brain plasticity, and if you are able to keep using your brain in new ways, you can have better mental outcomes as you age.”
Raise the Bar
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If you don’t have the time or ability for a new skill, work on the ones you have. “Not up for a new endeavor? Raise the bar for an existing activity,” says Harvard Health. “For instance, if you are a casual golfer, commit to increasing your ability and aim to lower your handicap or shoot a specific score. You don’t have the challenge of learning something new, but rather the challenge of increasing your skill set and knowledge.”
Do It First Thing
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Whatever you choose to do, there are benefits to doing it first thing in the morning. “Rituals appear to be particularly important in the morning because they serve as a fresh start,” says Nick Hobson Ph.D., via Psychology Today. “Tim Ferriss and other high-performing entrepreneurs do these rituals as it helps them win the morning and ultimately win the day. The science is now showing this to be true. A successful ritual (task 1 of the day) means your confidence will carry over into all the other tasks that come up.”