Top 5 Brain Exercises to Improve Your Concentration and Focus

When you want to strengthen your muscles, you lift weights. If you want to improve the concentration and focus of your mind, then you need to work out and exercise your brain. The correct brain exercises will improve the way your brain works and develop better focus and concentration.

As we age, we may lose the ability to concentrate, but brain exercises can improve concentration even in older people. Brain exercises are excellent tools for people of any age who would like to strengthen their mind!

Here are some great brain exercises that can help you build your brain: 

1. Do some crossword puzzles. Not only are crossword puzzles a lot of fun, but they can help improve your concentration. Relying on your long-term memory and trying to solve tough questions help stimulate the brain.

* Taking only 15 minutes daily to work on crossword puzzles can benefit you. 
* To keep a fresh supply of puzzles handy, you can buy a crossword puzzle book, check your daily newspaper, or look online to find them for free. 

2. Changing your daily routine challenges your brain to do something that's outside your comfort zone. This can strengthen your problem solving abilities.

* Consider changing things by taking a different route to work one morning and then finding another on your way home.

3. Try Sudoku puzzles. These are number placement puzzles based on logic. You complete a 9x9 grid so that each row and each column only has numbers that range from 1-9. Within the grid, in each 3x3 block, a number can only be used once. Most definitely challenging!

* These puzzles are often found in daily newspapers, printed books, and online. 

4. Eat foods that help your brain. Your brain will stay healthy and function at its best if nourished with nutritious foods.

* Proteins are great for the brain, and may be found in cheeses, meats, fish, and milk. 
* Complex carbohydrates are important as well, and these carbs come from fruits, vegetables, and grains. 
* The brain needs some fat, so don't shy away from healthy oils like olive oil or fish oils. 
* Eat foods that include omega-3s, such as trout, salmon, and tuna, which are oily fish. Some nuts contain these fats as well and are healthy food for the brain.

5. Start a new hobby. Trying a new hobby is another way to expand your interests and use your brain to learn something new. Being busy and learning new things expand the way the brain thinks and gets you out of a rut.

* Join a local club or take a class at a hobby store or community college.

Challenging yourself and improving brain function is something that any person can do. Young and old alike can enjoy and benefit from these great techniques. Get your whole family in on the fun!

Make just one change today to stimulate your brain. You won't notice any drastic changes overnight, but with time and practice, eventually you'll find that you can finish puzzles quicker, solve problems more easily, and enjoy improved concentration and focus. 

