Exercises for memory and concentration are very useful for anyone who wants to keep their brain active. Exercising the brain not only helps recent memory and learning capacity but also prevents a decrease in reasoning, thinking, long-term memory and perception, for example.
Memory exercises can be done at home, however, if the difficulty or loss of memory is accompanied by changes in language, orientation or if it interferes with daily activities, it is important to consult a neurologist.
Furthermore, to increase the effect of memory exercises, you should eat foods rich in magnesium, vitamin E and omega 3, such as fish, nuts, orange juice or bananas, as they stimulate brain function associated with memory. See foods that help improve memory.
Some simple exercises that help increase memory capacity include:
- Practice games such as sudoku, spot the difference, word search, dominoes, crosswords or putting together a puzzle;
- Read a book or watch a movie and then tell someone;
- Make a shopping listbut avoid using it while shopping and then check if you bought everything that was written down;
- Taking a shower with your eyes closed and try to remember the location of things;
- Change the route you take daily, because breaking the routine stimulates the brain to think;
- Switch the computer mouse aside to help change thought patterns;
- Eat different foods to stimulate the palate and try to identify the ingredients;
- Do physical activities such as walking or other sports;
- Do activities that require memorization such as theater or dance;
- Use your non-dominant hand. For example, if your dominant hand is your right, you should try to use your left hand for simple tasks;
- Meet with friends and family, because socialization stimulates the brain.
Furthermore, learning new things such as playing an instrument, studying new languages, taking a painting or gardening course, for example, are other activities that can be done on a daily basis and that help keep the brain active and creative, improving memory and the ability to concentrate.
Benefits of exercise
When the brain is not stimulated, the person is more likely to forget things and develop memory problems and not act as quickly and agility as they should.
Memory and concentration exercises are also important for:
- Reduce stress;
- Improve recent and long-term memory;
- Improve mood;
- Increase focus and concentration;
- Increase motivation and productivity;
- Increase intelligence, creativity and mental flexibility;
- Make thinking and reaction time faster;
- Improve self-esteem;
- Improve hearing and vision.
Furthermore, when you do exercises for memory and concentration, there is an increase in blood flow to the brain with oxygen and nutrients that are necessary to carry out tasks that require attention and concentration.
Quick memory and concentration test
The following tests can be done at home, as long as the environment is calm so as not to distract from focus and alter the results.
Test of the 9 elements
To do this memory and concentration exercise, you must observe the elements on the list for 30 seconds and try to memorize them:
Next, look at the next list and find the names that have been changed:
The wrong terms in the last list are: Confusion, Sea, Leaf, Mug and Paris.
If you have identified all the changes, your memory is good, but you should continue to do other exercises to keep your brain in shape.
If you haven’t found the right answers, you can do more memory exercises and discuss with a doctor the possibility of taking memory medication, but a good way to improve memory is to eat foods rich in omega 3.
Memorization test
Take the quick test below and see how your memory and concentration level are. Look at the image shown and try to memorize as many details as possible in 60 seconds:
Bibliography
- ERICKSON, Kirk I.; et al. Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108. 7; 3017-3022, 2011
- GROSS, Alden L.. Memory training interventions for older adults: A meta-analysis. Aging Ment Health. 16. 6; 722–734, 2012
