How to improve memory: useful exercises

Experts say the amount of memory is unlimited. But we don't always use it properly. Mechanical memorization, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not the ideal method for improving memory. It consists of three components: natural potential, condition and fitness. This means that memory is susceptible to influence and today there are many ways to improve it.

Causes of deterioration

The following factors lead to memory impairment:

• emotional stress;
• systemic depression;
• lack of sleep;
• infectious diseases;
• vitamin deficiency;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• brain injury;
• taking medication (antidepressants, sleeping pills);
• diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus;
• aging of the body.

Strengthen memory at home

The brain is a dynamic structure that responds to any influence. The right approach will help you achieve the desired result. Today, a sufficient number of techniques have been developed to improve memory.

Exercises

1. Let's start our discussion of this method with an exercise called "associations". An assistant is required for implementation. Ask him to read aloud several pairs of words that have a semantic connection to each other. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - office". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. The assistant must then read the first words, and the second must be reproduced independently.
2. The second exercise involves improving your visual imagination. You need to close your eyes and imagine in detail each object, natural phenomenon or animal. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A wide variety of possibilities are possible. Then take a sheet of paper and describe the images presented on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve your listening and memorization information. Someone has to read a set of words aloud. For example, "table, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree. "Repeat these words first in the same order, then in the opposite direction. If there is no one around, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, you must take a book and read aloud the first words of each line.

4. The fourth exercise will allow you to train your memory and do household chores at the same time. Before you go to the store, write a list of products you need to buy on the list. Read it several times. You can do this aloud or in silence as you wish. Then leave the sheet at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to shop.
5. Exercises aimed at activating the cerebral hemispheres will also help improve memory. The simplest of these is to change your hands when performing an action. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, use your right). You can also do walking on site. The exercise needs to be performed at a fast pace. When lowering the knee, swing the arm so that it rises above the head. The exercise should be repeated several times.

Games

The cards are placed face down in a row on the table. Several people can participate in the game. Each in turn draws any two cards. If they match, the participant takes them.

The question game will also help you train your memory. The topic doesn't matter. Each player asks the other participants any questions. Five points are added for a correct answer, two points are deducted for a wrong one. Solving crossword puzzles will help to achieve tangible results.

Memory Enhancement Menu

Memory status depends on diet. Some foods are the source of the substances the body needs:

1. Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.

2. Sprouted grains contain elements that provide energy to the brain and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are rich in amino acids. They contain glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply the body with easily digestible proteins.
4. Honey is a source of carbohydrates. They can replace sugar. Honey contains well-absorbed glucose and fructose. And also 22 of the 24 trace elements found in the circulatory system.
5. Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. Consumption of these products will replenish the content of the essential acid Omega 3, the deficiency of which causes degenerative diseases of the brain. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive functions.
6. Avocados improve the blood supply to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that prevents oxidation of the brain and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that contribute to the formation of blood clots.
8. Apples inhibit the development of oxidative stress, which leads to memory loss.
9. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals (substances that negatively affect the brain). Melatonin, which is also contained in this product, will help slow down aging.
10. Walnuts containing lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired effect, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
11. A handful of pumpkin seeds will provide the body with a daily need for zinc.
12. Blueberries and blackcurrants have a high content of vitamin C. Lemon also has this function.
13. Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to improve knowledge. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.

The brain needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids to function properly.

Introducing a salad made from the following ingredients in the diet will help maintain memory:

• carrots;
• beets;
• half a celery root;
• parsley;
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• half a lemon.

Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Then mix the salad well and enjoy the healthy, delicious food.

Poems and music

Another effective way to help develop memory is to memorize poetry. There are several guidelines for achieving the desired result:

1. Learn by stanzas, not by lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line many times and then move on to another, you will end up confused in the stanza. Short-term memory is capable of accommodating approximately 7 blocks. In order not to overload it, you must divide the verse into the same number of parts. Make 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the plot of the work. Now read again and you will find that you have already memorized some lines. In this way we try to learn the whole verse.
3. Don't use quatrains to learn it. The work will fall apart and it will be problematic to reproduce it in its entirety.

Listening to music is also one of the methods to improve memory. But these must be classic pieces. Music creates vibrations in the air that promote relaxation and have a positive effect on the brain. The works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel have this ability.

Other ways

Live an active lifestyle, exercise and take a walk in the fresh air. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. To regenerate brain cells, you need to get enough sleep. Lack of rest immediately affects your well-being.

The efficiency of the brain increases during the stage of deep sleep.

Stress is a direct threat to memory. It has a destructive effect on brain cells and the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories and reproducing old ones. It is therefore necessary to fight it. This can be done with the help of exercise, during which the release of endorphins - the hormone of joy.

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques for balancing the emotional state. Drawing negative emotions on paper allows you to look at the problem from the outside. In the process of reading, attention is shifted to the plot of the book. This relieves psychological stress.

There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at a few recipes:

1. Grate horseradish root and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Refrigerate for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice daily with meals.
2. 10 g ginger, pour 250 ml boiling water, add mint and lemon balm. Drink 1-2 glasses a day.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of mint and a similar amount of sage with two cups of boiled water. Insist for 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before meals.
4. 1 tablespoon of mountain ash bark is poured with 250 ml of water and boiled for 10 minutes. The mixture should be infused for 6 hours, then filtered and taken 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

It is possible to affect the state of memory with the help of drugs.

If this is your choice, do not self-medicate. Medicines are taken only after consulting a doctor.

Express methods

If you need to quickly fix something in your memory, simple exercises will help you:

1. Concentrate first. Concentrate and focus on what you need to remember. Do not allow your attention to be directed to other objects.
2. The next step is to create associations. Connect something to the object you are trying to remember. Here you can completely rely on the imagination.
3. Now let's move on to the third stage. The association must be repeated several times. This method will help you remember any event or information by heart.

If you are unsure of your ability to concentrate, try the following exercise:

1. First take a deep breath and hold it for five seconds. In this case, the palms should be clenched into a fist.
2. Then exhale slowly and open your arms.
3. After this exercise you will feel relaxed, this will improve concentration.

A familiar object must be used when creating associations. The activity of memory is arranged in such a way as to achieve the best result if new facts are added to the experienced sensations and feelings.

Many people are familiar with the situation when at the right moment the memory starts to fail. It's not just the elderly who are facing this. Everyone can master the methods for improving the ability to remember. An integrated approach is recommended for better results. You will feel the effect at the beginning of the class.