Brainfit: 10 Minutes a Day for a Sharper Mind and Memory

Brainfit: 10 Minutes a Day for a Sharper Mind and Memory

Brainfit is a training program designed to reclaim your brain. In 10 to 15 minutes a day individuals who are beginning to feel the effects of memory loss will see immediate reversal of the mental aging process. The 9 distinct, fast and fun weekly workouts focus on a different aspect of brain fitness. This approach fits the lifestyle of the target market - age and intellect appropriate, fast, entertaining, and results oriented. Features include: Weekly Exercise Planners for your daily routine - Exercises more like games or brain teasers to achieve maximum results - Tips, suggestions, and creative alternatives to your daily routine Brainfit 10 Minutes a Day for a Sharper Mind and Memory By CORINNE L. GEDIMAN FRANCIS M. CRINELLA RUTLEDGE HILL PRESS Copyright © 2007 Corinne L. Gediman with Francis M. Crinella All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-40160-223-9 Contents Acknowledgments................................................................viiForeword.......................................................................ixChapter One: Regain Your Brain.................................................1Chapter Two: Making Memories...................................................20Chapter Three: Taking AIM......................................................47Chapter Four: Remembering Who..................................................78Chapter Five: Remembering What.................................................103Chapter Six: Remembering How Many..............................................132Chapter Seven: Remembering When................................................159Chapter Eight: Remembering Where...............................................181Chapter Nine: Mental Agility Challenges for the Left Brain.....................202Chapter Ten: Mental Agility Challenges for the Right Brain.....................233Chapter Eleven: Maintain Your Brain............................................259Appendix.......................................................................279Notes..........................................................................305 Chapter One Regain Your Brain "The mind is like a parachute ... it doesn't work unless it is open." -Anonymous A Modern Fairy Tale Imagine a now middle-aged Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming. They've had a little cosmetic surgery, work out regularly at the health club, eat a low-carb diet and attend Pilates classes regularly. They check their good and bad cholesterol yearly, drink a glass of red wine a day, and indulge in the occasional massage. Aging well is a top priority, and they understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Every morning, they ask the magic mirror the proverbial question (with a twenty-first century twist). "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the youngest of us all?" The mirror answers back," You guys look awesome, but may I suggest a PET brain scan to check out your aging brain? After all, what good is an attractive and fit body if you are not going to be mentally present to enjoy it?!" And the moral of the story is ... "Don't forget to make brain fitness part of your antiaging strategy." Searching for the Fountain of Youth Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, "Youth comes but once in a lifetime." If Mr. Longfellow were alive today, he would marvel at how the scientific advances of the twenty-first century are creating ways for us to rejuvenate ourselves and live well into our nineties. Science and medicine are allowing us to replace aging body parts, transplant thinning hair, revitalize our libido, as well as nip, tuck, and lift anything that sags. But staying young is not just a matter of physical fitness and cardiovascular health; it is also a matter of brain fitness. For those who seek the fountain of youth, it's time to make brain fitness the next battleground on the antiaging front. Before you don your brain gladiator attire, however, it's helpful to understand what you have working for you and against you. So, let's begin with an understanding of how the brain ages. Unraveling the Mystery of Brain Aging In recent years, we have explored the surface of Mars, mapped the human genome, and cloned sheep. By contrast scientists are only just beginning to understand the processes associated with brain aging. Numerous factors, however, are colliding and catapulting neuroscience (the study of the brain and nervous system) to the forefront of medical research. First, people are living longer, giving us more aging brains to study and protect. The average life span today is seventy-five years, up forty-seven years from 1900. Scientists predict that life expectancy by the middle of the twenty-first century could be well into the nineties and beyond. Running parallel to increased life span is new brain imaging technology such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography), which allows scientists to explore the surfaces of the aging brain and detect minis