Training Your Brain For Dummies

Put your brain through its paces and achieve first–rate mental agility The brain is your body′s most important muscle and, with regular exercise, you can improve its performance and strengthen it against age–related deterioration. This guide offers everything you need to know to keep your brain and memory in tip–top shape, whether it′s by choosing the right foods or playing the piano. From puzzles and exercises to the best day–to–day habits and long–term mental fitness techniques, this book enables you to boost your mental agility and reduce memory loss. So shake off those cobwebs and get your brain fighting–fit in no time! Start as you mean to go on – get to grips with the basics of brain training and discover how to make it work for you Keep your mind razor sharp – improve your memory and banish that pesky ′tip–of–the– tongue′ phenomenon Have happy thoughts – follow expert advice on how to keep your mind happy and healthy Start afresh – adapt to new brain–friendly diet and lifestyle choices Let the games begin – get stuck into a compendium of brain games, exercises and puzzles Open the book and find: The facts behind the fiction Mental fitness exercises for children and the over–50s Ways to memorise your shopping list, put names to faces, and remember directions How to visualise your success Why socialising is important Techniques for managing stress and anxiety Advice on nutrition and ′brain food′ Word searches, sudoku puzzles, and more

Introduction. Part I: Brain Training Basics. Chapter 1: Introducing Brain Training. Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Brain. Chapter 3: Brain Training For Your Needs. Part II: Remember, Remember . . . Keeping Your Memory Sharp. Chapter 4: Honing Your Long–Term Memory. Chapter 5: Improving Your Short–Term Memory. Chapter 6: Improving Your Language Skills. Chapter 7: Recognising Faces and Remembering Directions. Part III: Fostering a Happy, Healthy Mind. Chapter 8: Improving Your Creativity. Chapter 9: Developinng a Positive Mindset. Chapter 10: Reaping the Rewards of Peace and Quiet. Chapter 11: Keeping Your Brain Sociable. Part IV: Getting Physical: Looking at Brain–Friendly Diet and Lifestyle. Chapter 12: Feeding Your Brain. Chapter 13: Looking at Stimulants: Drugs and Caffeine. Chapter 14: Building Up Mind/Body Fitness Part V: Game On! Brain Training Games to Play at Home. Chapter 15: Verbal Brain Games. Chapter 16: Numerical Brain Games. Chapter 17: Memory Games. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 18: Trying New Things to Train Your Brain. Chapter 19: Ten Brain Games to Play on the Move. Appendix. Answers.

Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway , PhD is the Director of the Centre for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan at the University of Stirling. Her research has been featured in newspapers including The Guardian and The Daily Mail, as well as on BBC Radio, Sky News, and ABC News. She has also written over 75 scientific articles and books about memory and learning. Tracy was the winner of the 2009 Joseph Lister Science Award.