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what’s running through my mind?

|week 9| marching on + back to nature

five february runfessions

five ways to exercise your mind

February 12, 2021      14 Comments

While we are over here blogging about running and fitness, let’s not forget to exercise your mind as well. Enriching your intellect is a huge part of wellness, and the human brain can definitely benefit from “stretching” and “workouts.”

What are some ways to help exercise your mind toward more overall fitness? Check out these tips.

Travel.

When it is safe to do so (and you are comfortable), get of your bubble and explore different places. Travel helps us experience so many things to which we might not ordinarily be exposed in our hometowns and neighboring cities. Seeing other parts of the state, country, or world can open our eyes to new cultures, trends, foods, languages and customs. These expeditions, even ones we might find negative, are great teachable moments, and traveling is one of my favorite ways to fill my mind with new things.

Read.

Pick up a book, a newspaper, or a cereal box. Seriously. Read whatever you can get your hands on, whenever you can. Consume books that make you happy, articles that make you uncomfortable, stories that make you think. Reading teaches us so many things, including new ideas, lessons, and even vocabulary. It is such a valuable way to exercise your mind, and we should strive to do it as much as possible.

exercise your mind

Get out of your echo chamber.

If you only surround yourself with similar opinions, you lose the ability to exercise your mind. Disagreements are part of life, but opening yourself to different viewpoints is both healthy and enriching, when done in a respectful fashion. The day we decide we can no longer learn from others is the day we lose our capacity for growth.

exercise your mind

Puzzle it out.

No reason not to have fun when you exercise your mind. There are plenty of great games and brain teasers designed to help you stay sharp and keep your edge. Take on a jigsaw puzzle. Try out books of crossword puzzles, word searches or sudoku. Challenge your family to some trivia. You can even go the digital route with games like Tetris, or solitaire.

exercise your mind

Take on a new hobby.

Hobbies can be great ways to exercise your mind. With technology today, it’s not very difficult to take an online class in a subject you’ve always wanted to study. In fact, virtual classes are becoming the new norm in these COVID times, allowing easy access to all kinds of courses. You can learn another language using apps and computer programs designed to go at your pace. Even on our busiest days, we can always take a moment to learn something new and see where it takes us.

independence day

My goal is to never stop learning, no matter what. Life is way too interesting to leave unexplored.

What is your favorite way to exercise your mind?

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Comments

  1. Lisa @ Mile by Mile says

    February 12, 2021 at 10:46 am

    Great ideas! I really miss traveling, and I wish i had more time for reading and puzzles/games. I do try to read for a few minutes every night before I go to bed.

    Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks says

    February 12, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    I can not wait to travel again! I do crossword puzzles in the paper daily and love the mental challenge it offers me

    Reply
  3. Marcia says

    February 12, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    It’s probably no surprise that my favorite way to expand my horizons is via travel. I love learning about different cultures. I also love a good daily crossword puzzle as well as art , languages and music.

    Reply
  4. Michelle D. says

    February 12, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    So important to never stop learning! I really cannot wait to travel again.

    Reply
  5. Kimberly Hatting says

    February 12, 2021 at 8:36 pm

    Sudoku is one of my favorite mind games. I also like the logic games where you’re given a few random clues then have to figure out the answer. Knitting is another favorite hobby, but I have not done it recently… planning out patterns involves a lot of math & visualization.

    Reply
  6. Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder says

    February 12, 2021 at 11:43 pm

    Great ideas! I’ve made it a goal to read more this year. I used to read all the time but I got so bad at it once technology took over.

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    February 13, 2021 at 1:07 am

    I miss traveling so much! I can’t wait until it’s safe to do it again. I love Words with Friends and Sudoku. I hope it keeps my mind young.
    Debbie recently posted…Are you an Injured Runner? Here are 6 Tips to Stay Fit (and Sane)My Profile

    Reply
  8. Coco says

    February 13, 2021 at 2:08 am

    I love doing puzzles. They let me use my brain in a different way than i do for work.

    Reply
  9. Renée @runlaugheatpie says

    February 13, 2021 at 9:54 am

    These are so great. I really want to read more. I’m going to make that a priority this year. Generally speaking I’m a traveller and love new languages and cultures. Music and language are usually how I exercise my mind. I was doing great learning Italian and then I bought a house… LOL. So now I can start over again.

    Reply
  10. Chocolaterunsjudy says

    February 13, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    I am almost always taking some kind of course! Of course sometimes it also feels as though my brain’s gonna explode!
    Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Running is silly!My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      February 15, 2021 at 2:04 am

      That’s the best! No matter what, we can’t let ourselves stop learning!

      Reply
  11. Zenaida Arroyo says

    February 14, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    I cannot wait to travel again! I have a few places I would like to visit once it is safe to do so. I enjoy reading too. I just finished reading “The Silent Patient” and have two more books waiting for me at the library.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      February 15, 2021 at 2:04 am

      Same same same! I just started The Sanatorium. So far, so good! I need to add to my to-be-read stack in short order.

      Reply
  12. Darlene S Cardillo says

    February 21, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    I love to read. That’s my favorite. I like crossword puzzles. I used to do them more often but now usually on trains and planes to pass the time. I also enjoy knitting…used to be quilting but that was too time consuming.

    I agree about the brain.. They say Use it or Lose it!!

    Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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