What is Brain Fitness?

Like the body, the brain can be ‘in shape’ or ‘out of shape’. Working on brain fitness is an approach to improve the brain’s ability to do everything it’s designed to do. Your brain is at the center of your metabolism, your emotions, and your intellect. Your brain is in constant 2-way communication with your other organs and regulates things like heart rate, blood pressure and immune function. Your brain is also the central drive of your mood states and emotions, controlling your reactivity and responses to stress and pleasure. Finally, your brain is your central processor for intellectual skills, like learning, memory, problem solving and creativity. All of these brain functions interact with each other so that physical health (metabolism) is affected by mood and cognition, and vice versa.

How do we go about improving our brain fitness?

First, we must understand that the brain is both a physical organ and a mental processor. The physical brain plays by many of the same rules as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It requires quality nutrition, physical exercise and optimal sleep for physical, emotional and cognitive health. The brain also requires engagement of mental activities to keep connections strong and working efficiently, following the ‘use it or lose it’ rule.

• Nutrition plays a key role for brain function, both as the raw material for building brain circuits and as active players in brain metabolism.

• Physical activity has proven to help gain better control of emotions, and improve abilities to learn, remember and think clearly.

• Sleep is not just a period of rest, but a very active time for the brain. Internal clocks are reset, memories are consolidated and metabolism is kept in check.

• Mental activities, like problem solving, socializing and playing, and deliberate relaxation, all benefit brain function by keeping circuits active and engaged.

This website will deliver information and tools to help keep your brain fit. You can create your own free account to get the best access.