My wife and I are 80 and we notice that we are becoming more forgetful. We have dementia traits in our family and we certainly don’t want to get any kind of brain problem. We know that exercising our entire body will help our brains be stronger. We know that eating well will also help. We know that getting enough sleep is a good idea, since that’s when our bodies repair things. We know that staying hydrated is super important. We also know that staying socially connected to the world is good for us as well.
Today I want to share some of the other ways you can keep producing brain cells and building new neuron pathways. My wife and I were both educators and we learned some very powerful ways to keep our brains sharp. Please check them out here and use the ones you like best.
These methods have been around a very long time because they work.
Your memory will be sharper!
The Owl
Sit or stand using your best posture. Take one hand across your body and place it over the shoulder ridge and squeeze. This will bring more blood into your very big trapezius muscle. Breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly out through you mouth. Continue to do this diaphragmatci breathing as you slowly turn your head from side to side and up and down. Repeat on the other side.
Cross Crawls
Find an open area to do this low impact aerobic step routine for about 3 minutes. Put on your favourite tune that has a beat of about 128 beats per minute i.e. September by Earth Wind and Fire. As the song plays, move to the beat crossing your arms and legs in front of your body.
Finger Story
Your thumbs and baby fingers are not involved in this story. Place the tips of the other 6 fingers together. This #1 finger position with all 6 fingertips touching is called HEAVEN. Keeping your 2 ring fingers touching and holding the other 4 fingers slightly apart is the #2 position called THUNDER. Moving on to position #3 with your 2 middle fingers touching while the other 4 fingers are apart. This is called RAIN. The #4 finger position is called MOUNTAIN. This is when both pointer fingers are touching while the others are apart. #5 position is when all 6 fingers are not touching but very close. This is called EARTH. #6 is when the two ring fingers are slightly apart while the other 4 are still touching. This is called WIND. #7 position is called FIRE with the middle 2 fingers slightly apart and the other four are touching. Position #8 is called LAKE with the two pointer fingers are apart and the other 4 are touching.
Here is the story that you will tell others. Demonstrate the 8 finger positions along the way …
One day “God” was looking down from HEAVEN and it was obvious that things weren’t going well down there. He/she summoned THUNDER to get RAIN and spread it on the MOUNTAIN top. It travelled down to the EARTH and the WIND picked up and blew all the FIRE into the LAKE.
Tableaux
A tableaux is frozen picture. For your tableaux to be interesting, it needs FOCUS, LEVEL, and BALANCE.
The theme for your Tableaux can be anything so today our them will be LOVE.
We can use as many tableaux as we like to create our frozen picture about LOVE so today we are going to try 3.
You can also make TABLEAUX in groups but just for this example, we will just use ourselves.
My first position will be with me standing and with legs wide apart and my arms out and open wide. My second position will be with my arms giving myself a hug. My third and last position will be with me standing one foot forward and with my arm reaching out for a hand-shake.
To perform the LOVE TABLEAUX, I would walk into a space, stop and form the arms open wide position. After maybe 20 seconds, I would slowly move into position #2 with me hugging myself and holding this for 20 seconds. I would then move into position #3 … the handshake. Hold it hear for around 20 seconds. End with me just walking away from the stage.
Juggling
If you haven’t got a set of juggling balls, I recommend Speevers on Amazon.ca.
Otherwise, 3 tennis balls should do the trick.
Begin by tossing one tennis ball up in the air and catching it. Do this 10 times and if you drop the ball, start again until you do 10 catches in a row without the ball hitting the floor.
Then just using one hand, toss the ball into the air and catch it 10 times. If you drop it , start again. Do the other hand.
Then move on to tossing the one tennis ball up with one hand and catching it with the other. Always start again if the ball falls to the floor.
Now the fun begins … with a tennis ball in each hand, toss one ball up a bit and then the other soon after and catch catch with each hand. So now you will have the two balls but in the other hand.
Finally begin with 2 tennis balls in one hand and 1 tennis ball in the other. Throw one of the balls from the hand with two, up … then the ball in the other hand, and then the 3rd ball goes up. To accomplish this, you would catch catch catch.
The Rain Dance
Sit in a chair usng good posture.
Snap your fingers in one hand, then the other hand, and back and forth.
After about 30 seconds of snapping, rub your palms together for 30 seconds.
Then clap your hands for 30 seconds.
Move on tapping your thighs alternately for 30 seconds.
Then, stamp your feet with lots of vim and viggor for 30 seconds.
Then back to the slapping of the legs for 30′ moving to the clapping for 30, and then to the rubbing for 30, and finish off with 30 finger snaps.
If you like, try this with a group. It should sound like a Rain Storm.
I just call it the Rain Dance!
Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique)
I usually do this exercise routine once I am in my bed for the night and the room is dark and cool.
I begin by using my fingers on one hand to lightly tap the side of my other hand just below the baby finger. As I tap, I say something nice about myself i.e. I am a good person. I might tap and say the positive words about 3 times. Then I move on to tapping lightly between my eyebrows saying the same positive phrase … I am a good person. After 3 repeats, I tap my temples using both hands and just with my fingertips. Don’t forget to say the phrase while I tap. The next position to tap 3 times and say the positive phrase about myself, is just below my eyes on my cheekbone. Moving along to the next position just below my nose and above my lip. Then tap below my lip and above my chin. Then to just a light bit below my collar bone. Followed by tapping and repeating the phrase under my arm bits and finishing off with taping and saying the phrase on the top of my head.
Memory Pegs
You don’t need any props. You don’t need other people. You can do this any place and any time as often as you like.
But you must do the ACTION while LOOKING for what you are talking about and saying the phrases outloud.
Here we go …
1 sun (point to the sun and look up)
2 eyes (touch your eyes with 2 fingers)
3 triangle (draw a triangle in the air)
4 square (draw a square in the air)
5 fingers (hold up one hand and show your fingers)
6 drumsticks (pretend you have a drumstick in each hand and you are playing drums)
7 up (pretend you have a soft drink called 7up and you pop the lip and take a swig from the bottle)
8 figure eight ( draw a figure 8 in the air)
9 baseball ( pretend you are holding a baseball bat and take a swing)
10 hen (pretend you are a mother chicken and you are gently sitting on an egg)
Take Away
All of the above exercises should help you build new brain cells, and keep your short term and long term memory working well.
Even if you don’t believe this will work, at least you will have fun doing the exercises.
“I hope you do.
We do!”
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