DW's Blog

Neurobic Exercise

by DW Green — May 3, 2023

Neurobics: mental exercises designed to create new neural pathways in the brain using the senses in unconventional ways.

I can attest to too many tests. Testing 1, 2, 3, 4…Therefore, I propose a simple brain exercise. Hmmm, I seem to misspell exercise every time I type it! Sometimes I mispell misspell. Anyway, not difficult exercises like brainteasers, riddles, conundrums or cross word puzzles. This is a simple neurobic exercise from a great book; Keep Your Brain Alive. 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss & Increase Mental Fitness. —Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., & Manning Rubin

“Neurobics is a scientifically based program that helps you modify your behavior by introducing the unexpected to your brain and enlisting the aid of all your senses as you go through your day. An active brain is a healthy brain, while inaction leads to reduced brain fitness. Or in simpler terms—“Use it or loose it.”

All of us have our morning rituals to get us quickly and “mindlessly” out the door. These set routines allow the brain to go on automatic pilot and be more efficient. And at bedtime, when we need to wind down from a day of mental and physical exertion, routines are similarly comforting.

Because routines are so ingrained in our mornings and evenings, they’re ideal times to inject a bit of novelty to awaken new brain circuits.

Brushing Roulette.

Brush your teeth with your nondominant hand (including opening the tube and applying the toothpaste). You can substitute any morning activity—styling your hair, shaving, applying makeup, buttoning clothes, putting in cuff links, eating, or using the TV remote.

This exercise requires you to use the opposite side of your brain instead of the side you normally use. Consequently, all those circuits, connections, and brain areas involved in using your dominant hand are inactive, while the counterparts on the other side of your brain are suddenly required to direct a set of behaviors in which they usually don’t participate. Research has shown that this type of exercise can result in a rapid and substantial expansion of circuits in parts of the cortex that control and process tactile information from the hand.”

I recommend purchasing and reading the book. It’s a lot of fun and good for you!