Best Brain Exercises for Memory Improvement

Everyone knows that our brains are always active, even sleeping. But does it mean daily actions are enough to keep brain functions sharp?

The brain is one of the most important muscles in our body, and just like every other muscle, it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Studies show that brain exercises for memory are highly beneficial against age-related degeneration.

We’ve collected the best memory brain exercises to maximize your memory. Our list includes memory games, activities, and exercises - but only the most useful ones!

Brain Games for Memory

Brain games for memory are beneficial for other cognitive abilities too! Here are the best examples that exercise multiple skills, including memory:

Brain Exercises for Memory

1. Learn a Foreign Language

People think learning a new language is cool, but how many of us know that it is extremely beneficial as one of the most important brain exercises for memory?

Yes! Learning a language stimulates the brain to memorize new grammar rules and words. It also involves reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills at the same time. Such a perfect exercise for the brain and all cognitive abilities.

2. Play MentalUP

When it comes to exercising your brain with the best memory games, MentalUP is here to help! 150+ memory games of MentalUP are developed by specialists, academicians, and game designers.

The brain also needs different kinds of exercises too! Thanks to the award-winning app MentalUP, daily personalized programs offer logic, verbal intelligence, visual intelligence, and attention games besides memory.

3. Take a Cooking Class

Here is another piece of advice for working the brain and memory at the same time: taking a cooking class!

Most people think that cooking is an easy-peasy activity, but the thing is, every new recipe stimulates the brain and memory on so many levels. Counting the ingredients, adding them one by one, and trying new cuisines often are activities that work different parts of the brain.

4. Test Your Recall

When it comes to making brain exercises for memory, there is no doubt that “list exercises” are one of the best.

List exercises can be related to a grocery store, things to do, or an event’s steps… Make a list in your mind and try to memorize everything. Then, after a few hours, try to recall all these steps as a great brain exercise.

5. Meditate

Maybe it doesn’t seem that way, but doing meditation is one of the most beneficial brain exercises.

But how? Meditations are activities that people experience in calm and support attention and focus skills. Like mindfulness exercises, meditation works different cognitive skills without any pressure, which may help slow down the brain's aging process and strengthen it.

6. Play Word Mind Games

Here is another simple yet effective brain exercise for memory! We believe most people play this game in childhood, and it can be a good idea to play it again!

Imagine a word in your mind, then try to find new words with the last letter of it. If it seems too easy, challenge yourself by trying to find new words with the last 2 or 3 letters!

7. Do Math in Your Head

It may seem complicated to work your memory with this, but visualizing operations offers many exercises for your cognitive skills, including your memory!

Math games and math riddles can be easily solved with the help of pencil and paper, but to make this one the best brain exercises for memory, all you need to do is figure out the operations in your head! Take a deep breath and focus on solving the problem. No hurry now; it will be faster over time!

8. Learn a New Sport

We already shared that meditation is a great brain exercise as well as body, but what about other sports? Living an active lifestyle is the key to a healthy brain, so trying new workouts is always a good idea!

Choose the most exciting sport for you; it can be tennis, golf, or gymnastics games. Exercise your memory by learning its new rules, then start practicing! It’s a wonderful way to have fun and stay sharp.

9. Support Your Hand-Eye Abilities

Fine motor skills can be improved by having new hobbies. For example, knitting, painting, trying puzzles, etc., can be helpful for hand-eye coordination.

These hobbies are also beneficial for many cognitive skills like memory, attention, focus, and visual intelligence. This is what makes them one of the most preferred brain exercises!

10. Memorize Phone Numbers

Thanks to technology, we don’t have to memorize the most important phone numbers, but doing this as one of the classic memory brain exercises is quite beneficial!

First, choose 5 necessary phone numbers that can be good to memorize. Then, divide 10-digit numbers into sections to make them easier to remember. Repeat the numbers as needed, and test yourself in the next few days to see if you remember them well!

What Are the Best Brain Training Games for Memory?

You can find many brain games for memory; for example, we've shared above some of the best MentalUP games that exercise the brain and memory.

Even though these are scientifically proven to support memory and other cognitive skills, you can still find other brain games for memory that can be beneficial, like card games, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, or other brain words games.

The most important thing to remember is stimulating the brain in different ways gives the best results. That’s why playing the same game again and again may not be that helpful in improving memory and other cognitive skills.

Because variations, performance-oriented programs, and different levels of the games challenge the brain more, memory improvement would be more significant.

Can Brain Exercises Help Delay Memory Loss or Dementia?

According to the latest studies, keeping the brain active is a prevention against memory loss and other mental problems. Brain exercises support thinking, reasoning, and memory skills, so people who do mental exercises may improve their cognitive skills.

For Alzheimer's and other dementias, brain exercises for memory have similar advantages, too. Research showed that even after Alzheimer's symptoms begin, there is still a chance that challenging the mind may reduce the ill effects.