How to Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons

The human voice is a beautiful instrument that anyone can master, but do you have to work with a teacher or vocal coach to do it? Actually, there are plenty of ways you can improve your singing voice all by yourself right at home. In this article, we’ve got expert-backed advice to walk you through finding your unique sound and show you the best warmups and fundamentals to take your singing to the next level. If you’re ready to wow your friends with some amazing and fast progress, keep scrolling (and practicing!).

The Best Ways to Improve Your Singing at Home

Vocal coach Montel Moore recommends doing simple exercises like humming and practicing scales to become more comfortable with your singing voice and grow your skills. Then, aim to practice singing for 30 minutes each day. Make sure to stand tall, relax your shoulders, and take slow, deep breaths with your diaphragm.

Steps

Discovering Your Voice’s Capabilities

1. Use all the different parts of your vocal system. In singing, there are groups of notes that resonate in different parts of your body like your chest, throat, nose, or head. These groups of notes are called registers and they share a similar tone quality. Speak, do warmups, and sing in each register to feel and hear your voice in different ways. If a note falls between registers, sing it with both to compare the sound.^[1] The main registers are:
   
   • Chest voice: the lowest, most comfortable notes that resonate in your chest cavity. Low voices sound warm here, and higher voices sound breathier.
   • Middle voice: the middle ground between your chest and head voices. This is a bright set of notes that resonates in your neck and mouth.
   • Head voice: the upper end of your range. These notes resonate in your head and come easily to higher voices. Most strain and tension occurs here.
   • Smooth transitions between registers contributes to a balanced, blended voice and helps eliminate voice cracks, too.
2. Record and listen to yourself singing as much as possible. You don’t need fancy recording equipment—use a voice memo app on your phone or make a quick video of yourself singing. Listen back to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses so you can target your practice sessions efficiently. Recording is also a great way to track your progress over time.^[2]
   
   • Evaluate things like pitch ("Did I hit the right notes?"), support ("Did I breathe deeply and use a full tone?"), or rhythm ("Did I sing the words on time?").
   • Compare your recording to a professional’s and ask yourself what you like about their version. Is it their volume? Their expression? The sound of their voice?
   • If you’re preparing for a recording session, use a simple external USB microphone to hear what your voice sounds like on better equipment.
   • Remember, it’s OK if you don’t like your recording. It’s just one moment in time and doesn’t reflect your true talent or skills!
3. Sing familiar songs that fit comfortably in your vocal range. Pick a few songs you enjoy listening to and pull up the lyrics. Make sure they’re in your lower or middle range (chest voice) to start—this is where you’ll feel most comfortable singing, and you can project without straining.^[3]
   
   • Sing along with recordings, then sing alone to hear how your voice responds to the music. Which notes sound best? What emotions are you projecting?
   • Start with songs you know very well. You’ll sing with more confidence and get a better feel for your voice’s capabilities with simpler, familiar tunes.^[4]
4. Find your vocal range and voice type. On a piano or keyboard app, play Middle C (the 4th C from the left on the keyboard) and match the pitch on an “ooo” or “aah” sound. Sing and play a slow scale downward and record the lowest note you can comfortably hit. Then, do the same going up from Middle C and record your highest note. These 2 notes define your range.^[5]
   
   • Keep an open mind during this exercise—your range may not be as high or low as you thought. Remember that gender doesn’t define your voice type.
   • After you record your highest and lowest note, determine which voice type you most closely fall into:
     • Bass: E2-E4
     • Baritone: A2-G4
     • Tenor: C3-C5
     • Alto: F3-F5
     • Mezzo-soprano: A3-A5
     • Soprano: C4-C6
5. Inject emotion and expression into your singing. Think about the lyrics and style of the song you’re about to sing—how does it make you feel? Find an emotional connection and then translate that into your voice. Experiment with singing louder or softer, ad libbing riffs, or adding vibrato to your tone. Matching your facial expression to the music can influence your sound, too.
   
   • Remember to keep control of your voice and diction while you’re emoting. Your audience wants to understand your words clearly.
   • Your expression contributes to the excitement of your performances. Practice in front of a mirror to see what you look and sound like to an audience member.
   • Adding expressive touches to a song makes it unique to you, plus you can adapt it to fit your voice and stylistic preferences.
6. Sing with confidence! When you're about to sing, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and smile at the audience. If you’re shaky, move around to hide your nerves and look like you’re really into the music. When you sing out and stay relaxed, your voice will be more agile and your performance will be electric.^[6]
   
   • Sing confidently even if you’re alone and just practicing—it’s the best way to practice performing and exercise your voice to the fullest.

Posture and Breath Control

1. Maintain a tall, relaxed posture any time you sing. Look straight forward and keep your chin parallel to the ground. Relax your shoulders, keeping them low and slightly back to open up your chest. Let your hands hang at your sides and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees unlocked.
   
   • Hold your abdomen firm, allowing it to expand outward whenever you breathe.
   • Shift your weight slightly forward so that it’s closer to your toes.
   • Get used to what this feels like by standing against a wall. Make sure your heels, calves, buttocks, shoulders, and head are touching it.
2. Take deep, supportive breaths with your diaphragm muscle. Your diaphragm lays underneath your lungs and controls your breathing. Stand tall with one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest, then take a slow, deep breath to practice feeling your diaphragm.^[7]
   
   • Imagine your abdomen filling with air and your rib cage expanding as you watch your stomach hand move outward. Your chest hand should be still.
   • Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your rib cage contract slightly as your lungs empty.
   • Use only your diaphragm to breathe—keep your chest and shoulder muscles relaxed.
3. Sing with your jaw open and elongated, especially on vowel sounds. Face a mirror and say the vowel sounds for A-E-I-O-U (“aah-eeh-eee-ooh-ooo”). If you see your jaw closing on some of the sounds, do the exercise again using your fingers or a small object (like a wine cork) to keep your jaw open wide. An open jaw projects easier and without strain.^[8]
   
   • After you speak this exercise a few times, sing it on one pitch. Focus on keeping your jaw loose and relaxed until it becomes second nature.
   • Practice the lyrics of whatever song you’re working on next, making sure to keep your jaw elongated so each syllable sounds resonant and effortless.
4. Keep your larynx low and relaxed as you reach for higher notes. Put a finger over your larynx (your voice box or Adam’s apple near the top of your throat) while you sing to check its position—you want it a little lower than it is at rest, but higher than when you’re yawning. As you sing higher, remember to breathe deeply, stand tall, and keep the vocal tract wide to help it settle in place.^[9]
   
   • “Think down” when you sing high. It helps your larynx stay in place and gives a little more weight to your high notes so they don’t sound breathy or strained.
   • A good larynx position blends your voice and smooths out the break from chest to head voice (where your voice is most likely to crack).
5. Relax your facial muscles, jaw, and tongue to eliminate tension. Use 2 or 3 fingers to make small, circular motions over your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and jaw to massage them. Slowly open and close your jaw a few times to loosen up the hinge muscles and remind yourself what a proper, elongated jaw position feels like.^[10]
   
   • Feel the soft area behind your chin with your thumb and sing. If you feel pushback, your tongue is tense. Use more air support to relax it.^[11]
   • Do some head and shoulder rolls to relieve tension in your neck, shoulders, and chest. Tension in any area is usually the root cause of unhealthy singing.

Warmups to Strengthen Your Voice

1. Do simple warmups for at least 10 minutes before singing repertoire. Always warm up before any practice session or performance—it’s the best way to get a good sound, control your voice, and avoid damage. Include lots of stretching, yawning, and deep breathing to activate your muscles, vocal cords, and lungs. Some simple ones to start with include:^[12]
   
   • Take a deep breath and hold the syllable “eee” for as long as you can, 3 times. Use the note F above or below Middle C (whichever is most comfortable).
   • Glide from your lowest comfortable note to your highest comfortable note and back down on the word “knoll” 3 times.
   • Sing three 5-note scales in the middle of your range on the syllable “oll.” Use the first 5 notes of a major scale (do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do).
2. Sing scales on a “zzz” sound, then switch to words. First, make a “zzz” sound on a single pitch and hold it out—feel how your diaphragm contracts to support the sound and how the vibration loosens up your facial muscles. Once you’ve got it, start singing scales and other musical patterns on “zzz” to blend your voice and increase your agility.^[13]
   
   • Start in a comfortable spot in your voice, then raise or lower each following scale by a half step to warm up your lower and upper ranges.
   • Play around with “zzz” for 3 minutes, then switch to vowel sounds like “aah” or "ooo." After another minute or 2, switch to solfege syllables.
   • Solfege is the 1-syllable words assigned to each note of a scale. The syllables (like you’ve probably heard in The Sound of Music) go do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do.
3. Vocalize an arpeggio pattern on “nay,” “gee,” or “mum.” An arpeggio is a pattern of notes that goes up or down by skipping notes instead of hitting each one in order like a scale. Start in a comfortable spot lower in your range and sing “nay,” “gee,” or “mum” in the following pattern: do-mi-sol-do-mi-sol-fa-re-ti-sol-fa-re-do (if you prefer a number system, think 1-3-5-8-10-12-11-9-7-5-4-2-1). Start slowly, then move the exercise up and down by half steps.^[14]
   
   • Focus on keeping the syllable pronunciation consistent from the bottom all the way to the top of the exercise.
   • Each of these syllables works a different part of your voice. “Nay” balances air pressure with vocal cord closure while “gee” helps your larynx drop.^[15]
   • “Mum” helps you resonate in the spot between your head and chest voices.
4. Relax your lips and activate your diaphragm with lip trills. Take a deep breath and hold your lips loosely together. Then, exhale through your lips until they start flapping and sounding like a motor. When this feels easy, start vocalizing short scales or note patterns while trilling.^[16]
   
   
   • Push a fast air stream from your lower abdomen through your lips.
   • The vibrations loosen up your lips and make them more agile for pronunciation and opening up vowel sounds.
5. Hum scales, arpeggios, or your favorite tunes on an “mmm” sound. Hum for about 1 minute to gently wake up your vocal cords and throat. Keep the range fairly small—try just the first 5 notes of a major scale, up and down (do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do) or a simple arpeggio (do-mi-sol-do-sol-mi-do).^[17]
   
   • Start in a comfortable, resonant spot of your range and move up or down by half steps on each repetition. Maintain resonance throughout your range.
6. Practice resonating by trying to “sing” through your nose. Close your lips and arch the roof of your mouth like you’re yawning or trying to speak through your nose (this raises your soft palate). Start humming like before, except this time the sound will be more like “ng” than “mmm.”
   
   • Hold single pitches or do short scale patterns, moving each repetition up or down by half-steps. Do this about 5 times.
   • Focus on keeping the tone quality and resonance the same at all pitches.
7. Aim to practice for 30 minutes every day. If you’re brand new to singing, start out with 10-minute practice sessions until you build the stamina to go longer. In these short sessions, focus on quality and make sure your last note sounds just as effortless as your first. As you progress, build up to 30 minute or longer practice sessions.^[18]
   
   • Try to spread your practice evenly throughout the week—doing 15 minutes every day is better than cramming in 2 hours the night before a performance.
   • If your voice gets tired but you want to keep making progress, set aside some time to look up new songs to sing.
   • Practice with a metronome (a physical one or a metronome app). Metronomes use clicking sounds to make a steady beat so you’ll sing in time.
8. Build endurance by reading out loud for a few minutes every day. If you just don’t feel like singing one day, read a short story or news article out loud to yourself (or to a willing listener!). Using your voice with intention helps you work on inflections, enunciation, and stamina.^[19]
   
   • This is a great exercise for older adults who want to preserve their singing or speaking voice.

Taking Care of Your Voice

1. Stay hydrated and drink lots of warm or room temperature water. Keep your throat moist for the best vocal sound quality, especially if you live in a dry climate or at a high elevation. You can’t moisten your vocal cords directly, but keeping your body hydrated will lubricate them for healthy singing.
   
   • If you’re going to be singing for 30 or more minutes, drink warm water with 100% pure honey (add enough to soothe your throat without coating it).
   • Consider humidifying your home or practice space so you’re not breathing dry air.
   • Cold water makes your sensitive vocal cords constrict or tighten up. Room temperature or warm water helps them relax and sound their best.
2. Try to sleep for 8 or more hours each night. When your body is fatigued, it shows in your voice—you’ll likely get tired more quickly and be more susceptible to vocal damage or overuse. Do your best to get quality sleep every night, especially when you have a big performance coming up.
   
   • If you’re short on sleep, try to grab a 20-30 minute nap in the afternoon or before a show or rehearsal to relax and restore your voice.
3. Keep your stress low with deep breathing exercises or meditation. Stress and nerves can make your voice sound fatigued, higher, or weaker.^[20] To calm yourself, get in a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts, then exhale for 4 counts. Repeat for at least 1 minute.^[21]
   
   • Regularly exercising or meditating can also help you stay low-stress over longer periods of time.
4. Eat a healthy diet and avoid smoking and alcohol. Keep your voice strong and durable with fresh produce, fish, and white meat.^[22] Reduce or cut out spicy or acidic foods and dairy, as well as caffeine and mint. Limit your alcohol intake, too—it’s dehydrating, and heavy consumption can damage your voice.^[23]
   
   • No amount of smoking or smoke inhalation is good for your voice. Cut back or quit smoking as soon as possible to preserve your vocal quality.
5. Treat your voice gently and go on vocal rest to let it recover. To avoid vocal strain, try to have most of your conversations in a place where you won’t have to talk (or sing) over loud background noise for long periods. Use nonverbal cues, like pointing, or a microphone to replace yelling or screaming.^[24]
   
   • After using your voice for a long time, take a vocal nap—no singing, talking, or whispering for a few hours.
   • Try not to cough or clear your throat excessively.
   • If possible, sing or practice in short sessions (30-60 minutes) with breaks in between to avoid overusing your voice.^[25]
6. See a doctor if vocal rest doesn’t fix your strained or overused voice. Vocal strain happens when your throat muscles or vocal cords are injured from overuse or improper technique. If you feel strain, go on vocal rest immediately and hydrate until you feel recovered. Visit a doctor if you’re still experiencing any of these symptoms after 2 weeks:^[26]
   
   • Chronic hoarseness, raspy voice, voice quiver, or choppy voice.
   • Pain or a lump in your throat whenever you talk or sing.
   • Unintentional changes in pitch or odd-sounding speech.

Reader Videos

Video

Tips

• Remember to always warm up before practicing or performing. Your voice will sound more natural and the most “you” when it’s properly prepared and at ease.
• Be patient while you work on your voice. The warmups and techniques in this article will improve your singing pretty quickly, but even the greatest singers ever put lots of time and energy into perfecting their craft.
• Perform for musically-inclined friends or a karaoke audience to occasionally get feedback on your singing. Even when you’re not working with a teacher or vocal coach, it’s helpful to hear what people in the audience think!

Warnings

• Always stop singing and go on vocal rest if you experience pain, fatigue, or any kind of vocal strain. If you keep trying to “push through the pain,” you could damage your voice permanently.

Related wikiHows

• Scream Sing without Damaging Your Voice
• Properly Stress Your Vocal Cords With Screaming
• Sing With Confidence
• Sing Vibrato
• Sing Better if You Think You Are Bad

References

Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.topsingingsecrets.com/blog/vocal-registers-and-blending-your-voice
2. ↑ https://themusicambition.com/teach-yourself-to-sing/
3. ↑ https://www.voicesinc.org/how-to-sing-louder/
4. ↑ https://vocalist.org.uk/sing-with-confidence
5. ↑ https://www.theatretrip.com/vocal-range/
6. ↑ https://vocalist.org.uk/sing-with-confidence
7. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
8. ↑ https://blog.discmakers.com/2021/11/singing-tips-from-an-expert-vocal-coach/
9. ↑ https://www.utahvocalartsacademy.com/post/seven-facts-about-singing-with-a-low-larynx
10. ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ways-relax-singing-muscles-7720/
11. ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/tension-enemy-singer-part-tongue-tension-9596/
12. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/maintaining-vocal-health
13. ↑ https://youtu.be/Jn_IIOyTr_A?t=104
14. ↑ https://singscales.com/vocal-exercises/nay/
15. ↑ https://www.voicelessons.com/blog/warmups/10-important-vocal-warm-ups/
16. ↑ https://www.musicnotes.com/now/tips/enhance-your-voice-with-these-vocal-warm-ups-and-breathing-exercises/
17. ↑ https://www.musicnotes.com/now/tips/enhance-your-voice-with-these-vocal-warm-ups-and-breathing-exercises/
18. ↑ https://www.aimm.edu/blog/will-singing-everday-improve-your-vocal-skills
19. ↑ https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2014/improve-aging-voice.html
20. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
21. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202204/slow-breathing-exercise-can-reduce-stress-and-anxiety
22. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
23. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/ear-nose-throat/maintaining-vocal-health
24. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/maintaining-vocal-health
25. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
26. ↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/vocal-cord-strain

source How to of the Day https://ift.tt/hb3pyud

How to Exercise Your Brain

Whether you're trying to get your brain back into shape or you just want to keep it as strong as it is now, there are some things you can do to exercise your brain. You can use different strategies to enhance your thinking and word skills, play games, socialize, engage in life-long learning, and taking care of yourself. You probably won’t see results overnight, but after a few months of using these strategies you may notice a big difference in your memory skills.

Steps

Enhancing Your Thinking and Word Skills

1. Read as much as you can. Reading is great brain exercise. You can read newspapers, magazines or books but just keep in mind that the more challenging the text is, the more of a workout your brain will get. Like any exercise, start small and work your way up.
   
   • Try reading books that will teach you something new, such as books about history or another subject that interests you.
2. Increase your vocabulary. You can also learn new words from a word-a-day calendar or dictionary. This exercises the language portion of your brain.
   
   • Try writing a new word someplace where you will see it often, such as on a whiteboard in your kitchen or on a sticky note on your desk. Choose a word that is challenging to spell and use to get the most out of this daily exercise.
3. Write something. Writing requires loads of thinking! You can write made-up stories, write down the things that have happened to you, or write articles for wikiHow on the topics you know about and love!
   
4. Learn a new language. Learning a language is like a hack for your brain, opening up all sorts of pathways. This exercises the part of your brain that stores language information, even making you better at speaking your own language.
   
   • Languages are a great way to keep learning new things and challenging your brain.^[1] Even if you only learn a few new words or phrases in a language, this will exercise your brain.
   • So you may want to give this a try if you’re looking to exercise your brain in an exciting way!
5. Post-problem solve. Consider the different possibilities of how something in your day could have gone, and explore the consequences. This improves creativity and makes you a better problem solver.
   
6. Turn off the television. Television tells you what to think and how to think it, basically putting your brain on autopilot. That's why it's so relaxing! If you want to keep your brain from stagnating, the first thing you have to do is turn off the TV. If you really want to watch, use your brain while you watch. Choose to watch educational programs and if you watch popular programs, choose ones with complex plot lines or character interactions. Think about these while you watch and try to analyze them or guess what happens next.
   
   • You may even consider cancelling your cable or satellite service and only watching things online that are educational. You can find many educational videos online and through subscription services.
7. Use your non-dominant hand. Use your left hand if you are right handed or your right hand if you are left handed. This will help to stimulate the parts of your brain that control your muscles.
   
8. Learn to play a musical instrument. Learning how to play a musical instrument or learning how to sing is a great way to challenge your brain because this will engage you in a long-term learning experience.^[2] You can take lessons, use videos to teach yourself, or join a group such as choir to engage with music.
   
   • Try learning to play the ukulele. This is an easy instrument to learn and there are even clubs for people who play.

Playing Games to Exercise Your Brain

1. Do daily crosswords and puzzles. Simple puzzles like crosswords can help your brain do some basic work.^[3] These are easy to fit into your day. You can even find some for free online.
   
2. Progress to more involved puzzles. Large, complex puzzles give your brain a stronger workout. These can sometimes take several days to a week to finish but they're worth the effort. This doesn't just mean a puzzle in the traditional sense either. Check out Japanese pocket puzzles for a serious brain teaser that you can do while you're killing time.
   
3. Consider playing chess. Chess is an incredibly strategic and tactical game. Few puzzles surpass chess in working out your brain.^[4] Chess is simple to learn and easy to play.
   
   • Look into joining a chess club in your area to get more opportunities to play and learn from more experienced players.
4. Play video games in moderation. Did you know that playing video games in moderation may actually make you smarter? Puzzle solving games like Mario, Zelda, Scribblenauts, and Myst are like a good cardio workout for your brain, helping you to become a better, more creative problem solver, and a faster thinker.^[5]
   

Socializing More

1. Talk with people. Talk with people about things you or they know about. Talking about politics, religion, and other challenging topics (having real discussions, not just arguments), can be a great basic brain workout.^[6]
   
   • You might even consider joining a group like Toastmasters since they cover a wide range of interests.
2. Join an interest group. Join a group or club for people with the same interests as you. This can be a hobby club, a political group, a discussion group, or anything like that. Talking with people with similar interests will get you using your brain and your skills.^[7]
   
3. Put away your phone when talking with people. Phones can be a distraction when you are having a conversation with someone, so get into the habit of putting it away when you are socializing. Try putting your phone in another room, or shutting it off when you are socializing with friends. This will force you to focus on the conversation and work on improving your face-to-face communication skills.^[8]
   
4. Volunteer. Doing volunteer work will not only improve your social connections, it will also provide you with opportunities to build new neurological pathways.^[9]Try volunteering at your local food bank, animal shelter, hospital, or nursing home.
   

Making Learning Lifelong

1. Go back to school. Going back to school is a great way to get that brain working again and more education has obvious benefits. You don't even need to get a whole degree. Your employer may be willing to help you finance classes that further your job skills, or you can just take a single class in a subject that interests you.
   
2. Take free classes. If you just don't have the money or time, there are also a number of free classes available online. Some are even from top universities, like Harvard. Try Coursera, Khan Academy, or even just Ted Talks to get the university experience, without the price.
   
   • You may even be eligible to take a free course at a local college or university. Some colleges and universities offer free courses for mature learners.
3. Use skills you have already gained frequently. With your brain, much like your muscles, it's kind of a "use it or lose it" situation. The longer you go without using information and skills, the rustier they get. Frequently use basic skills, like doing math, in order to keep those skills fresh and ready to use.
   
   • Try using skills that you have not used in a while, such as woodworking, knitting, sewing, or doing home repairs.
4. Pick up a new hobby. Learning a new skill is also a great way to give your brain a workout.^[10] Creative skills especially, like music, dance, and visual art, will exercise different parts of your brain and all have incredible benefits.
   
5. Build things. Whether you're building robots or a new bench for your hallway, using your brain to figure out how to make something (especially from scratch with no instructions) is a great workout. Get some basic building skills and then get your brain limber with some practical creativity.
   
   • Try doing a do-it-yourself project to learn new skills and make something in the process.

Staying Healthy

1. Eat well and exercise. Diet and exercise actually play a role in the health of your brain as well.^[11] If you want to keep your brain in peak condition, eat a healthy diet rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids to keep your brain physically fed. Drink water as much as you can. Physical exercise can also keep your body healthy, reducing the chance of stroke and increasing oxygen saturation levels.
   
2. Play sports. Learn exercises or how to play new games to increase your hand-eye and body coordination. Tai-chi and pinball are both examples of this.
   
3. Sleep well. Scientists are actually discovering that sleep plays an absolutely vital role in keeping your brain healthy. While you sleep, your body cleans toxins out of your brain (in addition to making repairs). ^[12] If you want to protect your brain, make sure you get a full night's sleep as regularly as possible.
   
4. Change up your routine. Try commuting with varied routes, to prevent the brain from feeling too neglected as the result of a monotonous day. You can also change how you work, by introducing an exercise ball or other factor into how you work.^[13]
   

Brain Exercises and Resources

Crossword and Puzzle Worksheet to Exercise Your Brain

Crossword and Puzzle Worksheet to Exercise Your Brain

Online Resources to Exercise Your Brain

Online Resources to Exercise Your Brain

Reader Videos

Tips

• Try doing a few things regularly, like memorizing something each day, or using a Rubik's cube for 15 minutes a day.
• When exercising, try to walk-backward (the reverse direction of the usual walking pattern) to tease the sphere of the brain.
• Remember to exercise your body - a healthier mind results from a healthy body. Get plenty of physical exercise.
• There are plenty of programs out there that will help with your memory. "Brain Age" or "Big Brain Academy" for the Nintendo DS are recommended and fun. These games were specifically made for improving your memory, as well as promoting fast reflexes and quick thinking.
• Like every other part of your body, the brain also requires rest. It never really shuts down, but focusing on a single point or meditation can actually help you relax your mind which can result in the slowing of your brain and later on better functionality. Listening to soft instrumental music with closed eyes for 10-15 mins a day usually helps.
• The way you speak reflects the way you think, so think before you speak. This will help improve your speech.
• Drink plenty of water.

Related wikiHows

• Exercise While Commuting
• Assemble Jigsaw Puzzles
• Finish a Crossword Puzzle
• Increase Your Brain Power
• Improve Mind Power

References

Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.whitbyschool.org/passionforlearning/learning-a-new-language-helps-brain-development
2. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4154531/
3. ↑ [v161275_b01]. 18 February 2021.
4. ↑ [v161275_b01]. 18 February 2021.
5. ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/obsonline/games-can-be-good-when-you-play-for-the-right-reasons.html
6. ↑ [v161275_b01]. 18 February 2021.
7. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young
8. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young
9. ↑ https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/free-time-activities/community-activity
10. ↑ [v161199_b01]. 17 December 2019.
11. ↑ [v161199_b01]. 17 December 2019.
12. ↑ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/10/18/236211811/brains-sweep-themselves-clean-of-toxins-during-sleep/
13. ↑ https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

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