3 weird ways to keep your brain healthy — one you can do in the shower
By Tracy Swartz
o need to overthink brain health!
Our noggins take a floggin’ with age, leading to reduced brain volume, less effective communication between neurons and decreased blood flow. These changes can affect learning, memory, processing speed and other cognitive functions.
Now, you probably already know that eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, managing stress and staying socially connected can help keep brains young.
Portrait of Kevin Woods, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist.
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Harvard-trained neuroscientist Kevin Woods recommends three easy ways to keep your brain healthy beyond a nutritional diet, good sleep and frequent exercise.
Courtesy of Kevin Woods
There are also some offbeat strategies to engage your brain — you can learn an instrument, use your non-dominant hand for tasks and take a different route home.
Harvard-trained neuroscientist Kevin Woods — director of science at Brain.fm, a music streaming service designed to influence brainwave activity — has three other simple suggestions to complement healthy routines. No brainstorm required.
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Gum chewing
Chewing gum can feed the brain in a number of ways, though the exact mechanisms are unclear.
Some studies propose that chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain, which means more oxygen and glucose for the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, areas vital for memory and learning.
Close-up of a woman chewing gum.
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Chewing gum has been found to have positive effects on brain function.
BillionPhotos.com – stock.adobe.com
This increased blood flow can also enhance focus and attention and reduce stress and anxiety.
As for types of gum, Woods told The Post that “it should be a gum with decent flavor that doesn’t fade too quickly — and one that doesn’t fall apart over time.”
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A dentist might recommend a sugar-free gum that doesn’t harm teeth.
There could be an even better, if not unconventional, option. A recent study found that chewing hard substances like a wood pencil can boost levels of the antioxidant glutathione in the brain — chewing gum did not provide the same effect.
If you’re worried about splinters, tooth damage and digestive issues with wooden material, leave it to beavers.
Walking backwards
“Backward walking enhances brain health by challenging the brain, focusing attention and strengthening neural connections while potentially forming new pathways,” Woods said.
Walking backward can boost memory and problem-solving skills. This picture shows a person in jeans and boots walking against a painted arrow.
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Walking backward can boost memory and problem-solving skills.
mantinov – stock.adobe.com
“Studies have found that backward walking increases cognitive control and even memory recall,” he added.
Also known as retro walking, this practice can improve balance, coordination and posture, strengthen certain muscles, reduce lower back pain and burn more calories than walking forward.
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Experts recommend starting slowly, choosing a path free of obstacles and uneven pavement, keeping the head and torso upright, engaging the core, stepping toes first and being mindful of surroundings.
Humming
Humming can ease stress and promote relaxation by stimulating the vagus nerve, a complex network of over 200,000 fibers that connects the brain and major organs.
Research indicates that humming can also increase nitric oxide levels in the nasal cavity, potentially improving blood flow to the brain and elevating mood.
Illustration of a person humming with headphones on.
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Humming may stimulate the vagus nerve, an information superhighway that connects the brain to major organs.
LittleSeven – stock.adobe.com
“Studies on choir singers show enhanced heart rate variability and cognitive function,” Woods explained. “Plus, the breath control required for sustained notes exercises the same neural networks involved in attention regulation.”
Woods recommends doing these three activities often, finding a consistent routine that works for you.
Since the brain is the control center for thinking, feeling and acting, taking care of it is crucial for overall health and well-being.
“While science can tell us useful things to try, to some extent, different brains need different things to focus best,” Woods said.
“What you find helpful, someone else may find distracting,” he added. “So don’t be afraid to test what works best for you!”
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