Brain fitness exercises involve diversity of activities to improve all the functional areas of the brain.

The goal of a brain exercise program is to continually create new neurons and connections between those neurons. Those connections solidify and this improves communication between them.

What does that mean as far as a brain exercise or fitness program for the aging adult? The Cognitive Reserve research shows that the brain requires life long mental stimulation to maintain brain fitness.

And what is life long mental stimulation? Our brains require something new, something different and something challenging introduced frequently to maintain or improve brain fitness.

For many, brain fitness exercises mean getting out of your comfort zone. It is also necessary for healthy aging. If you do crossword puzzles and do them well, that’s great. Your brain can do crossword puzzles well. So you need to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Maybe painting, or learning to play an instrument. A brain fitness program would include a way to increase you to a more challenging level.

If you love to knit or crochet, your mind knows how to do those activities with your eyes closed. So get out and try something new. A brain fitness exercise may be to do beading of jewelry. Better yet, your brain fitness program may include learning to paint or learn to play an instrument.

If you can travel, this is a great opportunity to meet new people, see new things, and experience new smells and sights. Traveling is a brain fitness program, because you have to be aware and you challenge yourself to such a variety of new and stimulating things.

Another great brain fitness exercise is taking the time to write down (journaling) things that you have experienced. It is a way to process all that new information to another level.

Implement new brain exercises into your daily living for healthy aging. A brain fitness program means challenging yourself, being open to learning new things, and being able to adapt to new situations.