During the summer, school’s out and kids do fun things that work the brain with motor output and social activity. Attending camp, swimming, hanging out with friends, and trying new activities or sports provide great brain exercise that boosts neuroplasticity. As a result, when summer ends kids’ brains are renewed for optimal performance with attention, learning, and memory during the school year.
So why should kids’ brains have all the fun? Let’s see what adults can do to boost brain power while goofing off this summer!
Some summer activities train the brain more than others
Summer can be a great time to train your brain to get better with age while you beat the heat. The key to successful brain training is to do something new that makes the brain grow new connections. Summer often provides the opportunity to vary our daily routines, adding in more time for outdoor adventures and vacations.
Whenever we are outside of our comfort zone, the brain works harder. But if you feel sluggish and lazy in summer, don’t worry: the best types of brain training activities will not make you break a sweat!
Test yourself: which of the seven activities below provide the best brain exercise?
- Drinking a cold beer
- Writing letters to friends and family
- Attending a theatrical performance
- Watching baseball on TV
- Playing a game of chess
- Attending a class or family reunion
- Seeing a movie at a theater
- Attending a comedy club
- Taking a water aerobics class
- Reading a newspaper
- Playing games on a computer or phone
- Reading and discussing a book
Three types of motor output for brain exercise
OK, let’s see how you did. If you chose # 1 (drinking a cold beer, #4 (watching baseball on TV), #7 (seeing a movie at a theater), #10 (reading a newspaper), or #11 (playing games on a computer or phone), your brain may have gone off on vacation without you! Perhaps it is time to challenge yourself with one of the other fun activities.
The best way to encourage neuroplasticity is to try a new activity that requires the brain to perform motor output. There are three forms of motor output: moving the body, moving a limb, and moving the mouth (speech).
Activity #9 (water aerobics) is the only activity on the list that is the first type of motor output, moving the body. And it’s in a pool, so you won’t break a sweat! In a class, following the commands barked by an instructor also challenges the brain. Generally, swimming and other water sports are good brain exercise because of the shift in gravity from submersion in water.
Activity #2 (writing letters to friends and family) engages the second type of motor output, moving a limb. Use pen and paper rather than a keyboard or cell phone. It makes a big difference to the people you write to and your brain.
The best brain exercise works the social mind
Activities #6 (attending a reunion) and #12 (reading and discussing a book) involve social activity that requires the third type of motor output: speech. Human speech uses more muscles in the body than any other activity! These activities also work your memory muscles without raising your body temperature.
Activities #3 (attending a theatrical performance), #5 (playing a game of chess), and #8 (attending a comedy club) involve very little motor activity. However, these activities all work brain areas responsible for higher-level cognitive activities such as strategy, humor, and story-telling.
If you don’t know much about your brain assets or neuroplasticity, start a book discussion group for “Better with Age: The Ultimate Guide to Brain Training.” There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to make it easy to get started.
Enjoy your summer brain training adventures!