Mental Fitness

When we think of fitness, we often conjure images of exercise equipment, leg warmers (remember those?), and Sweatin’ to the Oldies. What you may not know is that it is just as important to exercise your mental health. You can keep your memory sharp and your brain healthy by doing some challenging activities daily.

Play Games: Play some board games for fun and for mental fitness. Play them with a friend for an added benefit. Here are some to get you started:

• Scrabble
• Mancala
• Chess
• Trivia games

Physical Exercise: Dust off those aerobics tapes and exercise your body – it helps your mind too. If you haven’t exercised in a while, check with your doctor before starting and proceed slowly. Here are some suggestions:

• Swimming
• Water aerobics
• Walking
• Yoga
• Strength training

Work Puzzles: Working through puzzles can exercise your mind. Try some of these:

• Sudoku
• Crossword puzzles
• Jigsaw puzzles

Take up hobbies: Enjoy a variety of hobbies to make life interesting, bring joy and relief from work, and keep your mind active. Here are some ideas:

• Gardening
• Scrapbooking
• Genealogy
• Woodworking
• Knitting or crocheting
• Sewing
• Cooking
• Bird watching

Music:Try listening to some classical music. It’s relaxing and good for the mind. Take up a musical instrument to give those mental muscles a workout.

Eat right: Make sure to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet. Try to avoid prepackaged foods, fast foods, and foods loaded with chemicals, fats, and sugars. Eating right helps your body – and your mind.

Read: Read a variety of material. Read classics; read the newspaper to keep up with current events; read the comics for a good laugh.

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