What do you envision when you think of your brain? Do you conjure up an image of this blue squishy thing in those crime-centered TV shows? If you do, then you are correct. However, there’s more to it than that. Your brain contains millions of things called neurons.

These cells relay information via electrical impulses. This is how you think. Your brain relies on the connections between these cells. The more connections there are, the more parts of the brain you can call on when you need to solve a problem or deal with a situation.

The brain is by no means a muscle, but it doesn’t hurt to think of it as one. And, like a muscle, you need to exercise your brain. When you exercise your brain, you don’t flex it like a regular muscle. Instead, you strengthen your neural pathways. The more you use these pathways, the stronger they become.

If you allow your brain to stagnate, those neural connections weaken. There are overall fewer connections, and the existing ones are considerably weaker. For this reason, many experts tell elderly people to learn new things if they want to preserve their memory. In fact, brain exercises are a dime a dozen. They could be in the form of crossword puzzles or even sudoku.

These days there are apps for everything, including brain training apps. It is not all that important how you do it. The important thing is to use your mind. You need to challenge your mind daily if it is to remain strong and healthy. So, be sure to continually stretch your mind, so it will stay sharp.