Want faster reaction time, better coordination, improved motor skills, or increased mental alertness?
Try these fun and challenging brain fitness activities and exercises.
- Left Brain Right Brain Activity #1
- Make a fist with both hands
- Lift the thumb of one hand
- Lift the pinky of the other
- Alternate the movement from hand to hand working up to 2 minutes or more
Left Brain Right Brain Activity #2
- Grab your nose with your right hand
- Grab your right ear with your left hand
- Your arms should be crossed in this position
- Switch so your left hand is on your nose
- Your right hand is grabbing your left ear
- Alternate the movement back and forth for 1 minute or more Knee to Elbow (Improves Coordination)
- Stand up straight with your legs hip-width apart, shoulders rolled back, chest up, and looking forward
- Lift your right arm straight above your head
- Raise your left knee to form a 90 degree angle
- Using your right elbow, cross your body and touch it to your left knee
- Return left foot to original floor location and right arm to straight above head
- Repeat with left arm and right knee
- Alternate consistently for up to 1 minute
Ankle Touches (Improves Balance & Coordination)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms out in front of you with elbows slightly bent
- Lift your right foot and reach to touch your right ankle with your left hand
- Place your right foot on the floor and lift your left foot
- Try to touch your left ankle with your right hand
- Do 15 – 20 reps
Color Word Activity
Try saying the color NOT the word, as fast as you can with the image above.
This exercise makes you smarter by working both sides of your brain. Your right brain wants to say the color, while your left concentrates on saying the word. The better you are at doing this, the better you are at juggling both sides of your brain. If you found this one to be tricky, it’s most likely because studies show that we read words faster than we identify colors.
Mirror Star Trace
Place a mirror near this picture of the star so that you can see its reflection. While only looking in the mirror, try to trace the shape and be sure to stay in the lines of the star.
(Download Mirror Star Trace Picture)
Studies have shown that right-handed people will take longer to complete this task with their right hand. The right hand is controlled by the left hemisphere of your brain, so the reflection of the star in the mirror confuses all the signals in your brain. Left handed people are better at this exercise as their brains are generally a bit more bi-lateral.
As we age, it is important to keep your body fit as well as your mind. The COA has activities to sharpen your mental fitness and slow cognitive decline through physical fitness. If you would like to know more about how to improve both your mind and your body, please contact us at (269) 445-8110 or stop in so that we can share with you the many options we offer to Enhance Your Life.
