There are two basic principles to keep your brain healthy and sharp as you age: variety and curiosity. When anything you do becomes second nature, you need to make a change. If you can do the crossword puzzle in your sleep, it’s time for you to move on to a new challenge in order to get the best workout for your brain. Curiosity about the world around you, how it works and how you can understand it will keep your brain working fast and efficiently. Use the ideas below to help attain your quest for mental fitness.

1. Read a Book

Pick a book on an entirely new subject. Read a novel set in Egypt. Learn about economics. There are many excellent popular non-fiction books that do a great job entertaining you while teaching about a subject. Become an expert in something new each week. Branch out from familiar reading topics. If you usually read history books, try a contemporary novel. Read foreign authors, the classics and random books. Not only will your brain get a workout by imagining different time periods, cultures and peoples, you will also have interesting stories to tell about your reading, what it makes you think of and the connections you draw between modem life and the words.

2. Play Games

Games are a wonderful way to tease and challenge your brain. Suduko, crosswords and electronic games can all improve your brain’s speed and memory. These games rely on logic, word skills, math and more. These games are also fun. You’ll get benefit more by doing these games a little bit every day-spend 15 minutes or so, not hours.

3. Use Your Opposite Hand

Spend the day doing things with your non-dominant hand. If you are left-handed, open doors with your right hand. If you are right-handed, try using your keys with your left. This simple task will cause your brain to lay down some new pathways and rethink daily tasks. Wear your watch on the opposite hand to remind you to switch.

4. Learn Phone Numbers

Our modem phones remember every number that calls them. No one memorizes phone numbers anymore, but it is a great memory Skill. Learn a new phone number everyday.

5. Eat for Your Brain

Your brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flax seed and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate transfats completely from your diet.

6. Break the Routine

We love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is second nature, the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.

7. Go a Different way

Drive or walk a different way to wherever you go. This little change in routine helps the brain practice special memory and directions. Try different side streets go through stores in a different order anything to change your route.

8. Learn a New Skill

Learning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an airplane out of tooth picks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.

9. Make Lists

Lists are wonderful. Making lists helps us to associate items with one another. Make a list of all the places you have traveled. Make a list of the tastiest foods you have eaten. Make a list of the best presents you have been given. Make one list every day to jog your memory and make new connections. But don’t become too reliant on them. Make your grocery list, but then try to shop without it. Use the list once you have put every item you can think of in your cart. Do the same with your “to do” lists.

10. Choose a new skill

Find something that captivates you that you can do easily in your home and doesn’t cost too much. Photography with a digital camera, learning to draw, learning a musical instrument learning new cooking styles, or writing are all great choices.

 這裏有兩個基本原則可以保持你的頭腦健康靈敏：變化和好奇心。當你做一件事成為習慣,你ni需xu要yao做zuo出chu改gai變bian。如ru果guo你ni在zai睡shui覺jiao時shi也ye能neng做zuo猜cai字zi遊you戲xi
，那na麼me為wei了le讓rang你ni的de大da腦nao得de到dao最zui好hao的de鍛duan煉lian，這zhe是shi轉zhuan向xiang一yi個ge新xin挑tiao戰zhan的de時shi候hou了le。對dui周zhou圍wei世shi界jie充chong滿man好hao奇qi心xin將jiang會hui使shi你ni的de頭tou腦nao敏min捷jie而er高gao效xiao。使shi用yong下xia麵mian的de方fang法fa可ke以yi幫bang助zhu你ni鍛duan煉lian大da腦nao。

1、讀一本書

選一本關於一個全新主題的書。讀一部發生在埃及的小說
、學(xue)習(xi)金(jin)融(rong)。會(hui)有(you)很(hen)多(duo)出(chu)色(se)而(er)流(liu)行(xing)的(de)非(fei)小(xiao)說(shuo)書(shu)籍(ji)，它(ta)們(men)在(zai)教(jiao)你(ni)相(xiang)關(guan)知(zhi)識(shi)的(de)同(tong)時(shi)，還(hai)能(neng)使(shi)你(ni)感(gan)到(dao)快(kuai)樂(le)。每(mei)周(zhou)都(dou)成(cheng)為(wei)新(xin)事(shi)物(wu)方(fang)麵(mian)的(de)專(zhuan)家(jia)。跳(tiao)出(chu)你(ni)所(suo)熟(shu)悉(xi)的(de)閱(yue)讀(du)主(zhu)題(ti)。如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)經(jing)常(chang)讀(du)曆(li)史(shi)書(shu)籍(ji)，嚐(chang)試(shi)一(yi)本(ben)當(dang)代(dai)小(xiao)說(shuo)。閱(yue)讀(du)國(guo)外(wai)的(de)作(zuo)品(pin)

，經(jing)典(dian)和(he)隨(sui)機(ji)的(de)書(shu)籍(ji)。你(ni)的(de)頭(tou)腦(nao)會(hui)因(yin)沉(chen)浸(jin)於(yu)不(bu)同(tong)的(de)時(shi)代(dai)、文化和人物而得到鍛煉，不僅如此


，你還能獲得有趣的故事。

２

、玩遊戲

玩遊戲是一個挑戰大腦的好方法。數獨（一種數字遊戲）
，猜cai字zi和he電dian子zi遊you戲xi都dou能neng促cu進jin你ni的de思si考kao速su度du和he記ji憶yi力li。這zhe些xie遊you戲xi依yi賴lai於yu邏luo輯ji，文wen字zi技ji巧qiao，數shu學xue或huo是shi更geng多duo。同tong時shi它ta們men都dou很hen有you趣qu。當dang你ni每mei天tian花hua大da約yue１５分鍾，而不是幾小時，來玩這些遊戲，你將受益匪淺。

３、使用你的另一隻手

用你不太有控製力的一隻手做事。如果你是左撇子，用右手開門．如果你是右撇子
，試著用左手使用鑰匙．這種簡單的事將使你有新的思維路徑。把手表戴在另一支手上提醒自已轉變。

４、記憶電話號碼

當我們打電話時手機記錄了每一個號碼。沒有人再去記憶電話號碼
，但這是一個記憶技巧。試著每天記憶一個新的電話號碼。

５、為你的大腦而吃

你的大腦需要你攝取健康的脂肪。注意攝取魚肝油，吃野生鮭魚，堅果（如核桃）
，種子（如亞麻種子和橄欖油）。多吃這些食物，少吃飽和脂肪。將轉化脂肪從你的飲食中完全剔除。

６、打破常規

我wo們men喜xi歡huan常chang規gui。那na些xie愛ai好hao和he娛yu樂le，我wo們men能neng做zuo連lian續xu做zuo幾ji小xiao時shi。但dan是shi越yue多duo的de事shi情qing成cheng為wei習xi慣guan
，大da腦nao將jiang得de到dao越yue少shao的de利li用yong。為wei了le幫bang助zhu你ni的de大da腦nao保bao持chi年nian輕qing，挑tiao戰zhan它ta。改gai變bian平ping常chang去qu雜za貨huo店dian的de路lu線xian，用yong你ni的de另ling一yi隻zhi手shou去qu開kai門men，用yong餐can時shi先xian吃chi甜tian點dian。所suo有you這zhe些xie將jiang強qiang迫po你ni的de頭tou腦nao從cong習xi慣guan中zhong清qing醒xing過guo來lai，再zai次ci集ji中zhong注zhu意yi力li。

７、走一條不同的路

不論你去哪，走一條不同的路。這個小的改變幫助大腦練習特殊的記憶力和方向感。為了改變日常路線，試著從不同的方向去雜貨店。

８

、學習一個新技巧

學(xue)習(xi)一(yi)個(ge)新(xin)技(ji)巧(qiao)可(ke)以(yi)鍛(duan)煉(lian)頭(tou)腦(nao)的(de)不(bu)同(tong)區(qu)域(yu)。讓(rang)你(ni)的(de)記(ji)憶(yi)力(li)發(fa)揮(hui)作(zuo)用(yong)，學(xue)習(xi)新(xin)的(de)運(yun)動(dong)
，用(yong)不(bu)同(tong)的(de)方(fang)式(shi)將(jiang)事(shi)物(wu)聯(lian)係(xi)到(dao)一(yi)起(qi)。閱(yue)讀(du)莎(sha)士(shi)比(bi)亞(ya)，學(xue)習(xi)烹(peng)飪(ren)，用(yong)牙(ya)簽(qian)造(zao)架(jia)飛(fei)機(ji)，這(zhe)些(xie)都(dou)將(jiang)挑(tiao)戰(zhan)你(ni)的(de)頭(tou)腦(nao)，讓(rang)你(ni)思(si)考(kao)。

９、列清單

清qing單dan是shi樣yang好hao東dong西xi。列lie清qing單dan可ke以yi幫bang助zhu我wo們men協xie調tiao各ge個ge事shi務wu。列lie出chu你ni所suo去qu過guo的de所suo有you地di方fang
，列lie出chu你ni所suo吃chi過guo的de美mei食shi，列lie出chu你ni所suo收shou過guo的de最zui好hao禮li物wu
，列lie出chu每mei天tian觸chu動dong你ni的de回hui憶yi。但dan不bu要yao依yi賴lai它ta們men。列lie出chu你ni的de購gou物wu清qing單dan，但dan試shi著zhe不bu用yong它ta們men去qu購gou物wu。當dang你ni將jiang腦nao中zhong記ji得de的de所suo有you東dong西xi都dou放fang進jin購gou物wu車che時shi，再zai用yong清qing單dan核he對dui一yi次ci。用yong同tong樣yang的de方fang法fa為wei你ni“要做的事”列出清單。

１０
、選擇一個新技能

xunzhaoyigeganxingqudeshi。zhejianshi，nikeyizaijiaqingsongdizuo，youbuyonghuafeitaiduo。liruyongshumaxiangjizhaoxiang，xuexihuahua，xuexiyizhongxindeleqi，xuexiyizhongxindeliaolifangshihuoshixiezuo

，zhexiedoushibucuodexuanze。