Recently one of my blogreaders emailed me and suggested I "check-out" my brain. Not that any one would want it, borrow it, that is. Some days, I don't even want to claim it. Like today, I have a migraine. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to have one of those nasty things. But as long as we are human, we are going to have our moments.
OK, so she didn't mean that kind of "checking" it out! 
Is Your Brain In Shape? The Same As Your Body?
All fun aside, Christy, made a comment that tagged my attention. "I do know that repetitive activity produces serotonin in the brain. So, it's good for brain health, especially if you're typing." Good stuff, folks! I told her she needed to write a book or blog or something!
Her point: we work our bodies, but what about our brains? If the brain no workie, the body no workie. You've heard me say that every movement begins with or is a neurological response.
Have I challenged you to use your brain? For sure. Take a look at Pilates, for example; it is NOT a mindless system. We have to concentrate with every movement to bring the precision of the body into motion.
But obviously, there are other ways to stimulate our minds. It has been stated by scientists that we only use about 2-10% of our brain's capacity. Our brain is able to process more than a computer. So far. Computer tech is catching up. Scary thought? Maybe we better get with it and work more than 2-10%.
Illuminating Your Mind
Christy suggested that I check out the website http://www.lumosity.com/ , not to be confused with luminosity! I was hooked. Even with a migraine, I was pumping away at the keyboard and hopefully my brain. (Lumosity will give you a free trial; it's worth trying it out for a few days!)
My little 86 year old mother joined in from across the table. "What is that you are doing???"
If she could work the keyboard, it would be a perfect and fun way for her to exercise her brain; not that she doesn't know how to type. She does and did for a living. Like 100 + words a minute and that was on old Royal typewriters (you youngsters don't know what you missed). Since her stroke over a decade ago, she has had difficulty making her fingers do the walking. Even her piano playing took a setback.
So while she can't actually "work" the site, she can join in with me as I work through some of the brain exercises. She's probably accomplishing more in her head than I am.
We do what we can. And for her, it's the daily news crossword puzzles. NOTE: the video. When she had the stroke, the psychiatrist was amazed at how well she breezed thru his difficult and nutty questions. I couldn't even answer some of them. Me, oh my.
He inquired if she worked cw-puzzles? He said research concluded that working cw's keeps the mind keen.
Mom did protect her brain by keeping it active with typing, crosswords, and playing the piano. But what Mom didn't understand was taking better care of her physical health.
Because she had never had a weight issue and was rarely ill, she took no thought to her health. She retired and went on a cruise. And in a matter of months, the doc's found she had high bp as well as high cholesterol. A first for her. Basically, she ignored the warnings as she didn't get her mind wrapped around the detriment. Then in a few more months, the stroke invaded her little body, just as it had her own mother.
It's been a painful, yet determined recovery. She's never given up. She is my example and my heroine!
ENJOY the following video of Mom quietly working her mind...
www.lumosity.com-highly recommended!
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