Give Your Biceps a Break and Boost Your Brain Power Instead

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If you’ve been looking forward to a break from that weight-lifting, you’re in for a treat. While building muscles are great news for your brain as well, you can easily find other ways to stay smart and fit at the same time – which is, as we know, the perfect combination. We are so focused on looking great and being in shape, that we forget to enjoy the simple activities that can actually make you healthy and sharp at the same time.

Roll away that mat, in other words, and enjoy the benefits of a ready mind at all times.

Eat the right food and drink enough water

First of all, make sure you get enough water during the day to feel refreshed. Anything healthy is good for your body and mind, but certain foods can give your brain what it wants as well. Nuts, for example, are great to snack on if you’d like to keep your grey matter sharp and healthy, as well as oily fish, blueberries, and tomatoes.

Read the whole list here, by the way, and make some mental notes of it before your next grocery trip. If you can’t remember what to buy – well, you know what to do.

Be creative

That creativity is good for your brain is certainly not a new discovery, but research has taken us all by surprise by proving just how good for us it actually is. Neuroscientists are able to point to specific health benefits such as a decrease in stress levels, improved memory and cognitive functions, as well as general happiness.

The last point might seem like it’s difficult to prove with science, but it’s really not; when you’re in a creative flow, as we call it, you’re continuously solving problems and finding solutions to different challenges. Every time you complete something or find the solution you’re looking for, you’re in a better mood – even if you don’t realise it.

Each challenge you’ve overcome triggers the reward centre in your brain, releasing a bit of dopamine, and pushing you forward with your creative work. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece either, so have a look at this Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar review to get those creative juices flowing.

Have a nap

It’s just what you needed, right? The great thing about taking care of your brain is that you don’t necessarily have to keep moving – so you can comfortably crawl into bed and let an hour of rest do the work. It’s especially relevant if you have a big day tomorrow where you need to depend on your healthy mind to outperform the others.

When you’re sleeping, your brain is organising and making sense of all the different inputs you’ve been getting during the day. If you don’t get enough sleep, you risk a variety of health problems – as well as going ape-shit over absolutely nothing, scaring away your friends, and making a mess of everything.

If you continue to challenge your mind and push yourself, you’re going to benefit from its power for a long time still. We can’t control our genetics, of course, and some mental health problems are difficult to overcome by snacking nuts and getting enough sleep. Try to think about your brain health as much as you think about your physical fitness, however, and you’ve done a lot for yourself already.