You exercise your body as you age. What about your mind? Since brain cells appear to be life-long learners that literally make new connections with one another, help your brain reorganize and rewire itself through 'neurobics.'

Millions of people pursue exercise regimens to help them maintain their physical fitness as they age. How can you help your mind stay resilient and youthful as you get older?  Thankfully it seems we continue to find more and more methods to maintain our mental acuity through the years.  We know that physical exercise affects the brain. You can keep your brain stronger longer with physical body exercises, see my article Exercise Makes You Stronger and Smarter, as well as by performing exercises for your mental health. These exercises, which have been coined "Neurobics," are based on the latest findings from leading neurobiology labs at Duke and around the world. Neurobiology professor Lawrence Katz actually coined the term “neurobics” in 1999 to describe his “mental aerobics” program.

Brain cells learn by literally making new connections or synapses with one another. It was assumed that these connections could only be established during childhood. Science now shows the opposite: Even quite late in life, the brain has the ability to reorganize and rewire itself.

Graig Schisler, a Windsor chiropractor said nerve cells need to keep communicating and an important way to do that is to break routine activities. “Routine does not engage your brain. We need to do things that trigger new associations in the brain, especially things that are fun.”  When was the last time you did something out of your routine? To go beyond that, when was the last time you had fun going out of your routine?

The goal of Neurobics is to help keep your mind fit to meet any challenge -whether it's remembering a name, mastering a new computer program, or staying creative in your work.  To be a Neurobic exercise, in other words, an exercise for your mental health, an activity must involve one or more senses in a new way, it must capture your attention, and there needs to be an element of spontaneity. Try some of the following brain improvement exercises and discover the value of "cross-training your brain."

• Try using your non-dominant hand to do routine events like brush your hair, eat with silverware, or pick up the phone. These will challenge your pathways as well.
• Make a "sensory canister" containing such aromatic substances as sage, thyme, or cloves and take a whiff when you dial a certain phone number. See if it helps you remember the number.
• Do things with your eyes closed (when safe). It may take you a little longer but the payoff is worth it.  Try getting into your car and placing the key into the ignition with your eyes closed – don’t drive though! Take a dark shower, or shower with your eyes closed. Locate the taps, soap, and so on, adjust water temperature and flow, and wash yourself using just your tactile senses.
• Turn the pictures on your desktop or shelf upside down.
• Wake up and smell, well smell besides the coffee. Instead of waking to the usual smell of freshly brewed coffee, try smelling something cinnamon, chocolate, or peppermint. Linking this new aroma with your morning routine will activate new neural pathways.

There is truth behind the saying, “Use it or lose it” so before you find yourself playing catch up, affect your brain not only by exercising the body but by training the brain as well, after all, it should be fun.

By Christina Leon, Staff Writer