Have you noticed that your Brain isn’t as sharp or quick as it once was? While it might feel impossible to change things for the better, it’s important to remember how powerful the brain is. With the right amount of training and stimulation, it can begin to feel much more powerful and even sharper than it was before. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort to boost your brain, then the activities below are some of the best ways to get started. Try them out to see what a difference you experience!

1. Paint and Draw

Spend time painting or drawing will allow your creativity to flow. However, it will also stimulate the brain which can enhance memory and cognitive abilities. In addition to this, either activity can be relaxing and help reduce stress so you feel refreshed when you’re finished.

2. Journal

When was the last time you wrote something by hand? By taking out the old journal and a pen, you’ll be working towards improving cognitive skills such as memory and learning. Researchers have also found that physically writing something help with idea composition by engaging larger regions of the brain.

3. Mow the Lawn

Mowing the lawn might benefit your curb appeal but it can also turn out to be great for your brain. A study found that after participants mowed the lawn, their body released a chemical that helped relieve stress, boost memory, and increase feelings of well-being. What better reason to get out and tend to your lawn?

4. Learn Another Language

Although learning another language is more difficult as an adult than as a child, it’s certainly something that can be done with hard work. The best part about this is the fact that the learning process strengthens your brain and can even help protect you from Alzheimer’s. There are many classes, online tools, and even apps that can help you, so it’s never too late to get started.

5. Talk Out Loud

Reading things aloud, whether it’s notes for a test or your grocery list, can help boost your memory. Researchers say this happens because verbally repeating words makes them more distinct, which is excellent for your memory. One of the best times to try this is when you meet someone new (especially if you have a difficult time remembering names). Repeat their name aloud and see if you remember it later in the day.

6. Learn Computer Programming

Although puzzles and crosswords are great exercises for the brain, why not try something that will really stimulate it? Computer programming is an excellent choice because it helps you learn how to solve complex problems and strengthen cognitive abilities. The more you go into this, the more it will work your brain, which will help strengthen it and your problem solving skills.

7. Dance

This is one activity that most people underestimate. Not only is it an excellent way to burn calories, but it really works your brain due to the coordination and planning that’s required! Whether you get out on the dance floor after dinner or try your hand at ballroom dancing, you’ll be doing both your brain and body a favor.

8. Use Your Opposite Hand

Normally brush your teeth with your right hand or write with your left? Change things up for a day by using your non-dominant hand. Doing so helps boost your brain because it will help integrate its two hemispheres. In fact, a study found that musicians who used both of their hands rather than one had increased sizes of the corpus callosum, which is the part of the brain that connects to hemispheres of the brain together.

9. Drive Without the GPS

If you live in a city and normally use your GPS to get around, try unplugging it for an afternoon (as long as you don’t have anywhere to be). This can help strengthen and even increase the part of the brain that is responsible for spatial memory, especially if you do it once or twice per week. What’s even better is that you are likely to create your own mental map of where you live, which can help you get around with or without the GPS.

10. Play Video Games

Are video games really great for boosting the brain? Yes! A professor at the University of Rochester recently did a study on video gamers and their brains. It showed that after playing, the gamers had improved attention, vision, and the ability to multitask. With vision specifically the gamers were able to tell the difference between subtle shades of gray, which could come in handy in real life (like when driving through the fog).

11. Play a Round of Golf

Going outside for a round of golf might be something you do for fun but it can also be great for your brain. While you’re doing this activity you have to do a lot of visualizing, which exercises the right part of your brain. In addition to this, the coordination required exercises the cerebellum. What’s even better is the fact that when you strategize where you’ll hit the ball and how, the left side of your brain will get an excellent workout.

12. Think About Your History

Where did you come from? What were your ancestors like? By thinking about your ancestors and history you may very well boost your cognitive performance. In fact, in an experiment performed by researchers, they found that participants who thought about their ancestors before intelligence tests did much better than those who were thinking about other subjects. This is likely due to the fact that thinking about ancestors helps increase sense of control, which helps boost brain power during tests and puzzles.

Boosting Your Brain Function

The brain is an incredibly powerful tool that can change, grow, and adapt. This is why it’s important to continue nourishing and training it as you grow older. The activities listed above are some of the most unique options that are well worth trying, especially since many have been proven in studies to have great benefits for the brain. What’s even better is that they’re easy to take advantage of and you may find yourself taking on some new hobbies as a result of trying them!