Exercises for Improving Your Memory

If you want to efficiently remember something, it is necessary that it be regarded in connection, or in association with one or more other things that you already know. The greater the number of other things with which it is associated with, the better chances you will be able to recall it.

Two popular techniques of association are acronyms and acrostics.

An acronym is an invented combination of first letters of the items to be remembered. For example: an acronym commonly used to remember the sequence of colors in the light spectrum is the name ROY G. BIV: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Sometimes, the acronym can be more familiar than the complete name itself, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus).

On the other hand, an acrostic is an invented sentence where the first letter of each word is a cue to the thing you want to remember. For example, Every Good Boy Deserves Fun is an acrostic to remember the order of G-clef notes on sheet music - E, G, B, D, F. An acrostic for the nine planets of our solar system would be My Very Eager Mother Just Sent Us Nine Peaches (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto).

When we want our bodies to look and perform better, we pay attention to our diet, and hit the gym. Or start jogging every day, or even walking the dog. It's the same deal with your brain.

There is such a thing as brain fitness, and it results from brain exercise and good brain diet.

Okay. Brain fitness doesn't mean you have to read the latest book on String Theory, or play chess every night with your roommate (although that would help). You can actually have fun flexing your mental muscles with games and puzzles.

Newspaper Games. Some of the best brains are happily addicted to newspaper games. They play Sudoku or crossword puzzles. Research shows that regular brain exercises such as number or word games will jack up your brain power, and your memory skills. You'll be better at information storage, not to mention recall. Also, people who get their puzzle "fix" in the morning say that they feel more mentally clear and quicker during the rest of the day. Mentally, you'll run circles around your workmates. With no caffeine jag!

Puzzles and Board Games. Do you already play board games or jigsaw puzzles? You'll be happy to know that regular players have been shown to enjoy increased their brain power as a result of these brain "workouts." Studies show that puzzles and games boost memory performance, including concentration and the ability to focus on details. And interestingly, the quality of the puzzle or game makes a difference here. A 5,000 piece puzzle gives a better workout than a 300 piece puzzle.


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Andre Thunestvedt has been studying the causes of memory loss and cognitive decline for years, and has written many articles on the subject. He is well-versed in ways to improve memory. Check out his website: www.How-Improve-Memory.com Go to his website now by clicking on the link and get ten expert tips on improving memory.