National Brain Awareness Week: 5 Ways to Improve Your Brain Health Today!
By Mental Health Association In Tulsa On March 10, 2014
By Matt Gleason
Mental Health Association in Tulsa
It’s National Brain Awareness Week, so to keep your mind sharp this week, we’ve got 5 Ways to Improve Your Brain Health Today!
1. Hans & Franz your noggin’
“Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cognition and brain function,” according to this study. “One bout of intense exercise performed immediately before or after practicing a motor task is sufficient to improve the long-term retention of a motor skill. The positive effects of acute exercise on motor memory are maximized when exercise is performed immediately after practice, during the early stages of memory consolidation.”
2. Brains love a good chuckle
“Laughter helps the brain regulate the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine,” according to this LiveStrong article. “(There’s also a) link between laughter and the production of anti-bodies and endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. Even the expectation that something funny is coming suffices to bring about positive effects.”
3. Be a sleepy head
“A short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance,” according to the National Sleep Foundation
4. Mind over yoga mat
“People have significantly superior brain function after yoga exercise compared to aerobic exercise,” according to researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
5. Feed the brain
“Eat brain foods—rich in B12, antioxidants, or essential fatty acid,” according to this Oprah.com article. For example: Bananas, blueberries, salmon and apples.”
