don’t forget about that other hand…
For those of you who consider yourselves to be right-handed or left-handed, it might be in your best interest to abandon that notion and work to become ambidextrous. Perhaps you think that sounds crazy, but this is one I have personal experience with and I can tell you it’s definitely feasible.
Think about it: when you are typing, does your non-dominant hand work any worse than your dominant one? Probably not, because effective typing requires both hands to work in harmony. You are forced to use your other hand just as much as your dominant one and therefore it becomes just as capable. While some might see this an an exception, I think it’s more of a rule; if you make a concerted effort to use your non-dominant hand just as you would use you dominant one you will find that the gap between them narrows and the notion of handedness gets increasingly fuzzy.
My personal experience supports this notion. Twice I have had to deal with extended injuries to my right hand and both times I was forced to turn to my left hand (which before this was pretty much useless for most things as I heavily favored my right hand). During these two periods, I dramatically increased the motor control of my left hand, and those improvements have stayed with me. At some point, I moved my mouse over to the left side of my keyboard. Initially, this was incredibly frustrating, but I quickly adapted and now my left hand is actually better at using the mouse than my right (I tested this with one of my mouse games). Recently, I started working on throwing and aiming with my left hand and the amount of improvment in just a short period of time is remarkable. I have little doubt that my left hand could become every bit as capable as my right with sufficient effort.
So give it a try. Not only will it improve your physical capabilities (imagine the utility of having two arms on equal footing) but it is also a great workout for your brain. There are plenty of opportunities to work on this in everyday life (try the mouse thing or switch the hand you beat egss with or brush your teeth with) and even more ways if you want to set aside period for practice (try writing with the other hand, or tossing a ball up and catching it). You can also take up something which requires use of both hands equally like juggling or dancing.
Good luck!
Tags: Brain Fitness Tips, brain gym, brain training, fit mind, mental health
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Great idea! I use juggling as my main brain training and teach it to others, but I’m looking forward trying out your suggestions. It’s amazing how something as simple (yet surprisingly difficult) as changing the hand you use for tasks and activities can improve both physical and mental acuity.
Check out the concept of “brain reserve” (it’s all over the internet). Studies have shown that people that have greater brain reserve are more resistant to dementia symptoms, even if they have Alzheimer’s! All of the things you suggest would increase that brain reserve.