The Brain Fitness Book: Activities and puzzles to keep your mind active and healthy

192 Pages·2021·31.916 MB·English

by  Rita Carter

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THE
BRAIN
FITNESS
BOOK
Activities and puzzles
to keep your mind active and healthy
RITA CARTER
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S
T
N
8 26
E
HOW THE BRAIN
BRAIN WORKS WORKOUT
T
N Foreword 7 Good brain health 28
Enemies of the brain 30
Parts of the brain 10 Rest and sleep 32
The active brain 12 Physical activity 34
O Connecting the parts 14 Reading and writing 36
Learning 16 Digital technology 38
Memory 18 Diet and the brain 40
The ageing brain 20 Supplements and drugs 42
C Unhealthy ageing 22 Keeping your senses 44
Genes versus lifestyle 24 Testing your senses 46
Social connections 48
DK LONDON DK INDIA
Senior Editor Project Art Editor Senior Managing Editor Managing Art Editor
Rob Houston Francis Wong Rohan Sinha Sudakshina Basu
Project Editor Designers Jacket Designer Project Art Editor
Miezan van Zyl Sunita Gahir, Shahid Mahmood Priyanka Bansal Rupanki Arora Kaushik
Editors Illustrators Picture Researcher Art Editors
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Phil Gamble, Edwood Burn
Victoria Pyke Picture Research Manager Assistant Art Editor
Jacket Designer Taiyaba Khatoon Aarushi Dhawan
Jacket Design Stephanie Cheng Hui Tan
Development Manager Production Manager DTP Designers
Sophia MTT Production editor Pankaj Sharma Anita Yadav, Nand Kishor Acharya
Kavita Varma
Managing Editor Editorial head Pre-production Manager
Angeles Gavira Guerrero Senior Production Controller Glenda Fernandes Balwant Singh
Meskerem Berhane
Associate Publishing Director Managing Art Editor DMeaslaigvink ah Teaaldu kder
Liz Wheeler Michael Duffy
Publishing Director Art Director
Jonathan Metcalf Karen Self
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Making music 102
Piano 108
Guitar 112
Drawing 116
Chess 120
Bridge 124
Pottery 128
Knots 130
Needlecrafts 134
50 78 Origami and papercraft 138
Gardening 142
THINKING TRY NEW Wildflowers 144
Trees 146
SKILLS THINGS Birdwatching 148
Stargazing 152
Tennis 156
Golf 158
Mental processes 52 The benefits of learning new things 80 Swimming 160
Am I normal? 54 Social activities 82 Yoga 162
Ability to recall 56 Memory challenges 84 Tai chi 164
Ability with words 60 Memory tips 86 Dancing 166
Ability with numbers 62 Story construction 88 Strength training and Pilates 168
Problem solving 66 The memory palace 90 A new language 170
Decision- making 70 Number puzzles 92 Taking up the challenge 178
Attention and focus 72 Word puzzles 94
Thinking speed and reaction time 74 Non-verbal reasoning 96 Answers 180
Spatial visualization 76 Logic puzzles 98 Index 188
Creative reasoning puzzles 100
First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Author RITA CARTER Puzzle creator DR GARETH MOORE
Dorling Kindersley Limited Rita Carter writes, broadcasts, and lectures about the Gareth Moore is the author of many puzzle
DK, One Embassy Gardens, 8 Viaduct Gardens, human brain. She is the author of the globally successful books for children and adults. He is the
London, SW11 7BW Mapping the Mind, Exploring Consciousness, and Dorling creator of www.BrainedUp.com and runs the
Imported into the EEA by Dorling Kindersley Verlag Kinderley’s The Brain Book, among others. Rita has won daily puzzle website www.PuzzleMix.com. He
GmbH. Arnulfstr. 124, 80636 Munich, Germany many prizes for her writing and was awarded a PhD from gained his PhD from Cambridge University in
Leuven University for her contribution to brain science. the field of Machine Learning.
Copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited
A Penguin Random House Company
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 READER NOTICE
001–322043–Apr/2021
While the information in this book has been carefully researched, the publisher and author are not engaged in
All rights reserved. providing health and fitness advice for individual readers. The information in this book is therefore not a
No part of this publication may be reproduced, substitute for expert advice and cannot replace sound judgment and good-decision making in matters relating
introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in to personal health and fitness. Physical activities are potentially hazardous and the scope of this book does not
anyform, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, allow for disclosure of all the risks involved in such activities. If you have any health problems or medical
photocopying,recording, or otherwise), without the conditions, you are advised always to consult a doctor or other health professional for specific information on
prior written permission of the copyright owner. such matters. Do not try to self-diagnose or self-treat serious or long-term problems without first consulting a
qualified medical practitioner as appropriate, and always seek professional medical advice if problems persist. If
A CIP catalogue record for this book you are pregnant or taking prescribed medicines, seek medical advice before changing, stopping or starting any
is available from the British Library. medical treatment or using any supplements or alternative therapy. Never disregard expert medical advice or
ISBN: 978-0-2414-7098-5 delay in seeking advice or treatment due to information obtained from this book. Neither the publisher nor
Printed and bound in China the authors can accept any liability for loss, injury, or damage arising directly or indirectly from any use
or misuse of information and advice in this book.
www.dk.com This book was made with Forest Stewardship
Council™ certified paper – one small step
in DK’s commitment to a sustainable future.
For more information go to
www.dk.com/our-green-pledge
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FOREWORD
YOUR MIND IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE BRAIN
THAT PRODUCES IT.
Your memory of a sunny day in childhood, the smell of First, it reveals the complex physical processes that
jasmine, your ability to find your car keys, read the produce thoughts, perceptions, and feelings. Then it
newspaper, and cook a meal all depend on maintaining a explains how you can support and perhaps enhance these
well-functioning brain. It is the most important part of processes. This includes the exercises and nutrition now
your body, because it generates all your experience and shown to be especially good for the brain, and advice on
controls everything you do. how to help prevent or cope with common brain disorders
such as stroke and dementia.
Despite this, the enormous importance of keeping your
brain fit and healthy is generally overlooked. We are The Brain Fitness Book describes the variety of mental
bombarded with advice on how to keep our hearts and skills that work together to produce a fully functioning
muscles in order, but information about the best way to mind and how each of them can be honed, exercised, and
preserve our cognitive faculties usually goes no further refined to make their best contribution. You can test these
than the suggestion that we do occasional crosswords. skills to explore your own strengths and weaknesses.
This book is designed to fill that gap. It pulls together Finally, The Brain Fitness Book provides a catalogue of
some of the latest scientific research on brain health and activities from which you can pick ‘n mix to find a brain-
shows you how best to achieve it in youth, maintain it healthy lifestyle filled with newly discovered interests.
through mid-life, and preserve and perhaps enhance it in It includes practical guidance to help and encourage you
later years. to get started on the activities of your choice.
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HOW
THE BRAIN
WORKS
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HOW
THE BRAIN
WORKS
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PARTS OF THE BRAIN
Your brain is made up of hundreds of modules, each
of which does something slightly different. Together
they produce everything you think of as your mind – your
perceptions, memories, judgments, and thoughts – and
SPECIALIST AREAS THINKING
conduct the countless processes that control your body. While the cerebrum can be
separated into lobes, its outer
layer —the cortex—can be
mapped more precisely JUDGING
according to functions that
THREE-LAYER BRAIN occur in specific areas. Deeper
brain structures can also be
The brain is made up of three major CEREBRUM identified with specific tasks. FEELING
layers; the oldest layer is at the bottom
and the most recently evolved is at the
top. At the base is the brainstem, which
LIMBIC SYSTEM Cortex is the outer
deals with basic survival. Above the layer of grey, wrinkled
brainstem is the limbic system, which tissue that processes TASTE
information and
generates emotions. On the top is the facilitates consciousness
cerebrum. Its outer layer is called the
cortex, and this produces conscious BRAINSTEM
thought, perceptions, and judgment.
Limbic system is
the foundation
HALF SLICE VIEW of emotions Brainstem controls
This brain has been sliced in half lengthways. Half automatic functions,
of the limbic system and brainstem are revealed, such as heartbeat
and breathing
under the cerebrum’s right hemisphere.
THE CEREBRAL LOBES Parietal lobe controls
spatial awareness
The cerebrum is made of two
PARIETAL
hemispheres, left and right. Each FRONTAL LOBE Occipital lobe is mostly
hemisphere consists of four main lobes LOBE involved with vision
divided by deep grooves. Each lobe
deals with a different type of function.
Grooves (sulci) divide
TEMPORAL the four lobes
Frontal lobe handles LOBE OCCIPITAL
conscious thoughts, LOBE Cerebellum is the
judgments, and
LEFT HEMISPHERE “little brain”, which
articulation
This view shows the whole brain from Temporal lobe processes CEREBELLUM hmeolpvse mcoeonrtd ainnadt e
the left side. This is the brain’s left
language and sound, and emotion
hemisphere, showing the outer encodes and retrieves
surface of the cerebrum – the cortex. personal memories
10 How the brain works
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