Brain jogging: effects and exercises

As we age, it is natural for our memory, concentration and intellectual capacities to decline. But it’s not something we have to just resign ourselves to. We can help maintain or even improve mental performance through regular training – with special brain jogging exercises, for example. But what exactly does brain jogging mean and how does it differ from memory training?

Brain jogging – also called brain training – is a collective term for exercises and cognitive tasks that stimulate various mental functions such as attention, concentration, logical thinking and problem-solving. Memory training, on the other hand, is more narrowly defined; it is primarily aimed at improving retention and recall of information. Brain jogging and memory training work at any age.

Brain training helps to improve brain functions such as concentration and memory over the long term. As a general rule, by repeating brain jogging exercises frequently, you will get quicker and more adept at them over time. However, your improvement depends entirely on the specific exercises. So the more sudokus you solve, the faster and better at them you become over time. But this won’t improve your focus when you read, for example, as reading requires different mental abilities. So it’s not just frequency that counts in brain training, but variety as well.

However, some people also get better at adjacent exercises over time. For the sudoku solver, for example, that would mean other number puzzles. Only in rare cases do people improve entirely different mental abilities – regardless of the type of exercises they do.

Bear in mind that around the age of 40, our reading, writing and numeracy skills start to decline. That’s why it’s worth starting brain training early. In older age, our mental abilities deteriorate, especially if we rarely use them. This makes brain jogging and memory training particularly beneficial for retirees; brain training continues to challenge the mind to keep them mentally active and productive.

To keep your brain fit you need to use it regularly. Targeted training makes it easier to store new information, whatever your age. Many exercises can be easily integrated into your daily routine.

Memory techniques

Memory – the ability to record information and recall it later – can be trained using targeted mnemonic techniques. Mnemonic techniques are useful memory tricks for various everyday situations:

• Mnemonic phrases: Mnemonic phrases are catchy sayings that act as memory aids. One example is the saying “my very excellent mother just served us noodles”. The initial letters of the words stand for the individual planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Phrases with rhymes or melody are particularly easy to remember.
• Mnemonic stories: Our minds retain stories more readily than individual isolated terms. So it’s a good idea to turn information into a simple story. The more original it is, the easier it will be to remember. To remember the sequence of numbers “3579”, you can create the following story, for example: “3 hungry mice found 5 cheeses, ate 7 holes in them and were full for 9 days”.
• Method of loci: Imagine a familiar route – for example, your route to work. In your mind, place the information you want to remember at distinctive locations along this route. Place one piece of information at each location. This creates a kind of mental tour, with each point along the route standing for an item of information. Walk along the route in your mind to recall the individual items. This method is particularly useful for lists, such as shopping lists. There’s a shiny decorative ball hanging on your front door. It reminds you of an egg. There’s a white silk scarf on the clothes rack. It reminds you of milk. There’s a yellow sponge on the sink with holes in it like cheese.
• Memory palace: Another technique is the memory palace. Imagine a house. The size of the house depends on the amount of information you remember. Assign each piece of information to a location in the house. For example, place reminders for the fairy tale “Snow White” under an apple in your kitchen.

By the way, these memory techniques are good for training both your short-term and long-term memory: You can use them for information with short-term relevance (e.g. shopping lists) as well as things you want to remember in the long term (e.g. planets).

Brain training through exercise

Regular physical exercise is important for our mental performance. It improves brain functions such as memory, attention and control. Sports that require good coordination are particularly effective. They represent an additional challenge to your brain, which helps your mental fitness. There are a number of movement exercises that help train your brain:

• Juggling: Juggling combines exercise and coordination, making it one of the most effective forms of brain training. First, take a small ball and throw it straight up into the air. Catch it with your other hand. Get a sense of how high and how fast you are throwing. Once you feel confident, add a second ball. Throw ball one straight up into the air. Once it has reached the highest point, throw ball two straight up into the air. Catch both balls and start again.
• Stop the music: Find some people to play with and form a circle. Ther person in charge of the music starts playing a song. While the music is playing, pass the ball to each other. When the music stops, the ball stops too. When the music restarts, pass the ball in the opposite direction.
• Brain walking: Brain walking combines physical activity (walking) with brain jogging exercises. This allows you to systematically activate central brain functions. For example, when you’re out and about, remember all the meals you’ve eaten in the last five days, list all the tree species you know or look for five things in a particular colour or shape.
• Dancing: Dancing is also a particularly effective form of brain training. It combines exercise and coordination, and also works your memory, for example when you remember new routines or moves.
• Everyday exercises: Integrate physical exercise into your daily life. Take the stairs instead of the lift, for example. Walk short distances instead of driving.

Brain training with games and puzzles

There are numerous puzzles and games that help train the brain:

• Sudoku: Sudoku puzzles can boost logical thinking, plus they’re readily available and easy to learn.
• Memory games: Memory matching games help to train the short-term memory. If you don’t have a memory game, use everyday items. Memorise the items and then cover them up. Try to name as many items as possible.
• Flashcards: Flashcards can also be used as a memory training tool. Do this exercise with another person: select a picture and write down some questions about it. Let the other person look at the picture for a while. Cover it up and ask the other person your questions about the picture. Take turns.
• Card games: Card games such as Switch and Rummy are also good brain training. Your brain learns to analyse situations and predict what other players will do.
• Puzzles: Solving puzzles helps you learn to think flexibly and logically. It also improves your short-term memory.
• Number sequences: Practice remembering numbers – ideally with another person. Give each other number sequences and have the other person repeat them.

For children, adults and older people alike, games have a beneficial effect on the brain and improve its performance. It recognises logical connections better, processes information more quickly and retains it better. But games alone are not enough for comprehensive brain training. Try combining different exercises to strengthen a range of mental functions.

The following tips will help you get more out of your brain training:

• Eat a healthy diet. Use the food pyramid published by the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SSN) as a guide.
• Avoid alcohol and nicotine and avoid stress wherever possible. All of these things contribute to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These conditions can affect the blood vessels in your brain.
• Maintain social contact. Visit a museum with your friends, play games or do puzzles with them or do physical exercise together. This keeps you and your brain active.
• Be open to new things. Learn a new foreign language, a new instrument or try out new sports.

Keep training your memory – no matter how old you are. Get your brain jogging every day and challenge it with different tasks: analysing, recognising, remembering, combining. Use the techniques that you enjoy. It might be a game, a mnemonic phrase or a memory exercise combined with physical exercise. The main thing is to challenge yourself – and keep your brain flexible and fit.