All you want to know about NEUROBICS?

Medical science is working wonders on a daily basis to make one healthier. And, health does not really mean just physical well-being but, includes being stress free with a healthy mind. To be healthy, regular exercise is a must. There are various ways you can exercise. Some take to running ( cardio) , some take to gyming or playing a sport and some take to Yoga or Aerobics.

Everyone is aware of the benefits of Aerobic exercises on our body but, how much do we know of – Neurobics?

Neurobics is a term coined by Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin to describe exercises that help the brain stay fit. Its primary goal is to help you remember, along with the ability to learn new information.

Neurobics has basic 3 concepts namely:

1. Involve one or more senses in a new context.
2. Involve your full attention.
3. Break your routine in a significant way.

Here are few examples of this super interesting exercise form:

• Use your non-dominant hand for your daily tasks like brushing your teeth, holding a glass, writing, combing your hair or holding your phone.
• Visit unusual shops/parks or places or take a new route to reach to the same destination.
• Change order of your meals – Start with dal – rice and then go for chapatti and veggies.
• Keep your eyes closed while doing activities like dressing up, reaching to your cupboard/chair, sitting in the car and wearing your seat belt.
• Add some new odours in your day. For example, start your day with mint tea rather than your usual tea/coffee.
• Visit some park, sit at a place, close your eyes and try to visualise what is happening around.
• Go on a drive with a friend or any family member without having any destination in mind. Let them tell you when to take left or right.
• Change interiors of your room – if it is not possible to move bigger furniture, just play with the smaller things like painting/wall piece/photo frame.
• Choose entirely new curtains/bed sheets for your room and make yourself notice them every day.
• Listen to some new language and try some of the pronunciations.
• Make it a family activity – everyone eating with their non-dominant hand/everyone writing their own names with the non-dominant hand.
• Try tongue twisters. They train a lot.

Try with activities which you don’t do generally – balancing a book on head/juggling/making toys or shapes from clay/identify things from your drawer while your eyes closed.

These activities are challenging as well as fun at the same time. Your kids and elderly at home– all can train their minds for better memory and co-ordination and keep several neurological conditions away like memory loss. Do these regularly, invent some similar exercises and have a super brain workout!