By Royane Real

If you want to improve your brain performance, you can benefit from adapting a technique that is often used by dancers and athletes.  It’s called cross-training. 

Cross-training means you add a different kind of activity to the type of training that you regularly do.

Why cross-train?  Cross-training can be beneficial because no one system of training is complete.  You can often gain from the types of training offered in other related disciplines.

When you cross train your body, you can build in more flexibility, more strength, or more endurance.

For example, an athlete who is a football player will also benefit from lifting weights and by improving his running speed.  A figure skater can improve by studying ballet and gymnastics.  A ballroom dancer can improve by studying classical dance.

Your brain benefits from cross training because when you participate in forms of learning in which you are weak and underdeveloped, you create new connections between your brain cells, and you start to build up new areas of your brain. 

When you try to build up the weaker areas of your brain, you’ll get a better work out if you choose to be active in your learning, and not passive.

For example, if you are currently weak in your understanding of music, and you want to improve in this area, don’t just listen to a different type of music in the background. 

Take music lessons, if you have never been musical.  Learn to play a musical instrument or learn to sing.  Even try to compose music.

Your new brain connections will only develop if you get your mind actively involved. 

If you tend to be a very intellectual type of person, you can develop the underused parts of your brain by trying out new forms of physical movement.  Take up yoga or tai-chi or belly dancing.  Learn to be a mime.  Learn to juggle.  You will experience learning in a totally new and different way!

On those occasions when you don’t need to achieve a good mark, enroll in classes that address your weakest learning abilities.  Take up hobbies that are very different from those things you normally do well or easily.  This helps to develop brain connections in parts of your brain that don’t get a regular workout.

Here are a few more suggestions for you to consider that can help you cross train your brain.

·        Practice writing with your less dominant hand.

·        Practice writing or printing backwards, or upside down, or do “mirror-writing.”

·        Pick things up with your toes.

·        Study another language.

·        Set aside your calculator and work out your mathematical problems by hand.

·        Play challenging games of skill with your friends, such as chess, go, or bridge.

·        Learn to tie complex knots.

·        Put together a model airplane, preferably one that does not include toxic glues.

·        Memorize poems, speeches or even lists of random objects.

·        Learn to paint watercolors, or make sculptures or take a class in silk-screening or etching.

·        Study drawing or photography.

·        Practice drawing objects without looking at the paper

·        Design a house.

·        Play word games with your children.

·        Walk backwards in a safe place.

·        Write a mystery story with a surprise ending.

·        Join a group or committee that is organizing a complex activity involves a lot of planning and interaction in your community.

·        If you’ve never learned to ride a bicycle, do it now!

When you cross train your brain, you build new connections between your existing brain cells.  Your brain cells become more adaptable and you can gain new insight as well as speed and clarity of thought.

Approach your brain cross-training in a spirit of fun and exploration.  These will be activities where you probably won’t have any natural talent.  Even if you don’t excel at these activities, you can still learn a lot and have fun, while giving your brain cells a different kind of work out than what they are used to.

This article is taken from my book   “How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative”   

Discover many more ways to improve your brain power.  You can download it or get the paperback version at http://www.lulu.com/real   

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Brain Boosters: 20 Minutes a Day to a More Powerful Intelligence

By Win Wenger

Do you want a sharper edge? Do you want to improve your abilities?  Throughout Brain Boosters, you will be given resources that will help you improve your intelligence as easily and conveniently as possible. Boost Your Intelligence to Genius Levels!

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