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I can’t believe it’s February already! What happened to January? Oh wait, I remember-it snowed and iced, and it was brutally cold. That was January.  We had gorgeous weather last weekend in Savannah, Ga, as we walked around in short sleeve shirts and saw a few people even wearing shorts. Yes, we witnessed shorts in January and saw some beginnings of buds on trees as well! But now back to reality, it’s cold and rainy again!

Did you hear about the results from a study on walking and the brain? Basically, by engaging in a brisk walk 3x/week, older adults were able to improve some memory skills. They enjoyed a larger hippocampus, an area in the brain targeting memory.  They increased their brain volume! To quote the lead author in the study,   “We can change the brain in older adults,” said lead study author Kirk Erickson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. “It’s amazing that a one-year period of moderate exercise isn’t just slowing down the atrophy, it’s actually reversing it.”  If that doesn’t get you off the couch, I don’t know what will!

At BrainMasters, we strongly recommend in addition to physical exercise and healthy eating, that we all engage in brain fitness activities.

I have my cup of green tea so yourself  grab a cup of green tea, coffee,  or hot cocoa with some spiced or plain walnuts, almonds,  dark chocolate, dark chocolate covered almonds-yummy, apple slices with cinnamon, strawberries, or blueberries and let’s workout. Let’s try more anagrams with a holiday theme. Remember, anagrams are a great brain exercise and they target problem solving skills, reasoning skills, thought organization, thought flexibility, judgment, and executive function skills. Anagrams are fun for everyone-teens, baby boomers, seniors. Anagrams are a fun brain building anti-aging activity to boost those brain cells, help form new neural pathways, and build your cognitive reserve. Try these anagrams as a family activity or part of a family game night, compete against friends or office co-workers and see who can find the most.  Enjoy, laugh, have fun-it’s good for all of us! Did you know that a  healthy heart helps us maintain a healthy mind and brain? Amazing, isn’t it?  February is American Heart Month! Let’s all work on becoming our healthiest and staying that way!

Here are your anagrams. How many new words can be formed? Share your lists with us and let’s see who can generate the most words!

HEARTS

VALENTINE

PRESIDENT

WALKING

CARDIO

HISTORY

FLOWERS

WASHINGTON

GROUNDHOG

WINTER