Strengthen Your Mental Fitness
by Gail Kasper, Author, Television Host, Certified Fitness Trainer, and Motivational Speaker
Staying mentally fit is as important as being physically fit. In the same way that you exercise to build muscle and keep your weight in check, you can do exercises that benefit your mind. Keeping yourself mentally fit is a great gift to yourself, one that helps you in countless ways, from performing better on the job to keeping up with great conversations. Mental fitness also can ward off dementia and other diseases. I have even added a mental fitness routine to my physically fit routine. Check out this video to get your two minutes of mental and physical motivation.
Here are three exercises you can do often to keep yourself mentally fit:
- Improve your memorization skills. Whatever your age, you can memorize a poem, song, script or passage to augment your mental abilities. Those of you who’ve read my autobiography, Another Day Without a Cage: My Breakthrough From Self-Imprisonment to Total Empowerment, know that when I was a child, I called the weather information line to get the forecast. I was so impressed by the weather lady’s delivery that I kept calling back to listen to the script, write it down in full, and memorize it. It was a great mental exercise, and I was proud of my accomplishment. What you choose to memorize is up to you – it could be anything from the lyrics of your favorite song to the list of United States presidents. Anything goes!
- Practice puzzles. Sudoku, crossword puzzles, Rubik’s cube, cryptograms – any type of word, language or logic puzzle can stretch your mind and boost your mental health. Plus, it’s a great pastime whenever you need a good stress-relief distraction. Practice puzzles to grow your brainpower.
- Learn something new. Perhaps best of all, you can practice mental fitness by learning something new. Teach yourself phrases in another language. Take that class you’ve wanted to take for a while. Acquire a new personal or professional skill. Use your computer to gain knowledge. Whatever you choose to learn, you can be sure it will serve you well as it boosts your metal fitness.
