Other/Mixed Exercising the Brain

[Waffles03]

What's the best method on keeping the mind sharp. Is it reading a book for an hour or doing cross word puzzles or is it the combination of doing both?

I notice with the advancement of technology such as texting and not being force to use my memory (thanks to my smart phone), it's definitely making my hand writing skills and memory cruddy.

 

[Steve Freides]

IMHO, learn a new skill - learn to read music and play an instrument or a new instrument; learn to read, write, and speak a new language; learn to play bridge; learn to play chess; learn a trade like cabinet making; learn ballroom dancing.

As to remembering phone numbers, just dial them from memory.

IMHO, neither reading nor crossword puzzles are challenging enough, although either is certainly better than a slap in the face.

-S-

 

[william bad butt]

Pick one: chess, poker, backgammon, or bridge. I play chess and poker (texas holden).

Or watch reality tv (joking).

 

[offwidth]

All that stuff is good. Additionally you can always help keep sharp by keenly concentrating on technique when training.

 

[Im out]

Complex movements are best. Reading with loud music on the background. Whatever you go for make sure it's something you enjoy. Without joy, no focus.

 

[User 7569]

I think learning to turn one's mind off intermittently is crucial in keeping sharp, and just as good an exercise as any

 

[the hansenator]

I'e heard that crossword puzzles don't help because you're accessing things you already know but not actually developing new skills or knowledge.

 

[Carl in Dover]

Also consider learning a new trade.
I recently passed my Certified Personal Trainer exam. Studying for several months about muscles, energy pathways, and diffent exercises really taxed this old noggin!

 

[Kozushi]

Read all of Chaucer in the original or Chapman's Homer. Good luck to you! (I've done both, several times - definitely makes the mind very sharp!)

Otherwise, reading things in your own native language isn't a great exercise for the brain - good for imagination and so forth, but it pales in comparison to reading in a language you don't use in daily life. I'm sure I enjoy French and Korean literature MUCH more than Francophones and Koreans do. It's a constant adventure with new words and ideas for me but for them is just more of the same old.

And, learning an important other language makes you useful as a go-between between the two cultures. In my case, I make a living doing it, hahaha!