Keeping Your Brain In Shape—Get a New Hobby For 2012!

Keeping your brain in shape is as easy as finding a new hobby!

According to Daniel G. Amen, MD, in Making a Good Brain Great, it's far better to learn something new than to repeat the same activities.

"The best mental exercise is acquiring new knowledge and doing things that you haven't done before...when the brain does something over and over, even a complicated task, it learns how to do it using less and less energy."

Find a hobby that requires coordination between multiple regions, such as ballroom dancing, painting or learning a musical instrument. Knitting, photography, woodworking, gardening, writing poetry, or anything that requires you to study something new will also stimulate your brain

Don't take the easy way out either: pick something that challenges you and then strive to do it well, not STRESS. All of these activities will strengthen and maintain mental acuity on a variety of levels. And please don't forget to stay hydrated, get good sleep and keep healthy positive relationships.

Make room for all things positive to enter your life. Wishing you and yours a "Happy, Healthy & Wealthy New Year."