Mental fitness: as important or more than physical fitness, also in summer

Neuroscience offers you dozens of tricks to exercise your brain. And it has its purpose: to be happier. In the same way that exercise helps your brain, it can fuel your body in multiple ways. Has it occurred to you that if you are happy you eat less and feel more motivated to do sports? Because to keep a young brain the only secret is to take care of it and exercise it. Even in summer. Welcome to mental fitness.

Including mental dexterity exercises in your daily routine will help you reap the benefits of a sharper mind and healthier body for years to come. Mental fitness means maintain your brain and emotional health in top shape. It is not failing on an IQ test, but being able to have an alert and agile mind, a "trained" mind.

Mental fitness in summer: it's not that difficult

Granted, summer is a time to disconnect, but that shouldn't make you the troglodyte you're not either. Mental fitness is always necessary, but even more so in this age. It is not about putting yourself to do queen gambits in long games of chess, but about maintaining the benefits of an awake brain: the ability to make good decisions, be more witty and fun in social gatherings, bring optimism and happiness everywhere …

The mental exercise is very beneficial and satisfying on all levels. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, certain memory training exercises can increase the fluency of your brain to reason and solve each new problem.

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In the same way that exercise is good for the brain and body, so is meditation, which is also an alternative way to prevent and treat depression. Calming the mind allows you solve problems in a more relaxed way. If you are already beginning to worry about the dreaded return to work, what better way than to anticipate it with mental exercises that calm that possible incipient anxiety.

Get your brain in good shape

Keeping your mind in shape is not as difficult as preparing for a marathon. The traditional ways are reading (be it books or magazines) and talking. Because yes, social relationships encourage mental agility as long as you are participatory. On the other hand, and although you may think otherwise, multitasking is not good: you don't end up concentrating on anything and you end up stressed.

Don't fall for the summer routine, try different things

The routine takes you into a state of inaction that your mind is not interested in. Summer should help you do the opposite: visit new places, stroll through unfamiliar surroundings, try new foods… All research suggests that keeping your brain active increases vitality. Doing new things in new ways seems to help retain brain cells and connections. It can even produce new cells. In essence, breaking your routine is going to help you keep your brain healthy.

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Games, crosswords, sudokus… Everything helps!

Board or card games are wonderful in the summer. They not only contribute to your leisure and socialization, but they force you to use your brain in search of ingenious solutions to funny problems or challenges that chance offers you. They are a great way to build brain muscle. Also video games, as they can increase your attention span, reaction time and ability to improvise.

On the other hand, it is not surprising that for many years crosswords and then sudoku puzzles have become essential accessories for a day at the beach. The mental challenges they are usually great for the mind. Take time for your brain also in summer because it is an investment in the future.