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Train Your Brain for Greater Memory and Greater Happiness

Four mind hacks to happiness and tranquility.

John Iovine
6 min readDec 3, 2020
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The brain is a wondrous thing. It remains plastic well into old age. This surprised neuroscientists when they discovered the brain’s ability to form new brain cells ( neurogenesis) well into our 80s and 90s. It seems you can teach an old dog new tricks.

One easy way to change your brain is to change your environment. I don’t mean you have to move. Well, I do mean you have to move, but that doesn’t require a change of location. Exercise is the closest thing science has found to the fountain of youth. Exercise increases blood flow to the body and brain that is protective to the brain and curtails age-related brain shrinkage.

Get moving

Exercise doesn’t just happen at the gym. Whatever you like that gets you moving will work. Whether walking through your neighborhood or taking a dance class. For me, it's kickboxing and martial arts. If you haven’t been working out, I recommend starting for a short period of time. Maybe five minutes.

Everyone can handle five minutes of exercise. It’s enough to get your heart pumping, but not so long of a time period to make excuses to yourself to put off exercising.

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John Iovine
John Iovine

Written by John Iovine

Science writer, thinker, self-experimenter, focusing on personal development and health — www.john-iovine.com

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