Easy Exercises for Brain Power

The brain must be exercised just like any other muscle in the body. And, as is also the case in muscle growth, brain power is strengthened when exercise is regular and intentional. Some brain exercises are easier than others, and can be practiced by people of practically any age.

Puzzle Games

• There are all sorts of puzzle games that can be played online, in the newspaper, or on a table at home. But all puzzle games challenge your brain to solve problems. One of the best daily exercises for brain power is Sudoku. This number game is available in most newspapers, and becomes more difficult as the week progresses. Cardboard puzzles take a while to complete, but if you put in just 10 or 15 minutes a day, you might complete a 500-piece puzzle in a few weeks.

Words and Language

• Word games can be played by speaking, or in writing. Popular word games such as Scrabble, Boggle and Scattergories are played against opponents, but there are also individual word games like crossword puzzles and word searches.
  Another way to stimulate the brain is by exposing yourself to words you do not know. Not only will this increase your chances of winning word games, it is a good way to build your vocabulary. Read magazines that normally would not interest you or simply open a dictionary and find an unfamiliar word. There are also Web sites that will e-mail a "word of the day."

Memorization

• Memorizing will stimulate the brain in a powerful way. Whether it is memorizing words, Bible verses, math equations or other figures, committing facts to memory will work your mind like nothing else. To establish this exercise in your daily life, pick something that you're going to memorize every day. Let's say you want to memorize Bible verses. On the first day, memorize one verse in a chapter, then the next day repeat that memorized verse and then memorize the next verse. On the third day, repeat the first two verses and memorize the third verse, and so on until you have memorized a whole chapter.