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Before you reach out for your smartphone, tablet or computer, exercise for at least 60 minutes a day and increase your brain power!

The body is designed to be worked to its maximum beyond limits. When we push our bodies, we push our brains too. Learning and memory evolved in conjunction with our motor functions had allowed our ancestors to track down food. As far as our brains are concerned, if we’re not moving, there’s no real need to learn anything.

Exercise improves learning on three levels: It optimizes your mindset by improving alertness, attention, and motivation. It prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for learning new information. Similarly, it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain related to memory and learning.

So, what can you do to work out the sweat? Plenty! Apart from the outdoor activities, you can choose to do the following on a rainy or blistering hot day.

If you really can’t stay away from your computer or tablet, check out the following websites for some fantastic workout videos. Get a few friends to do the workout together.

• FitnessBlender.com offers videos ranging from a few minutes to half an hour long on cardio kickboxing, toning the lower back, high-intensity interval training, and more
• SparkPeople is a great resource for ab/core workouts and boot-camp-style videos
• Exercise Routine has videos for Pilates, endurance, toning, and jump workouts
• eHowFitness offers leg, upper body, ab, glute, and toning exercises

If you love music and want to exercise your creativity, try choreographing your own dance. Follow these steps to create a unique dance routine.

(a)  Pick a favorite song. Try to choose one in which it’s easy to pick out an eight-count beat.

(b)  Choose your dance style:

1. Pop/rock/hip-hop
2. Country/line dance
3. Salsa
4. Zumba

(c)   Create steps by doing research to find cool dance move ideas. Some good places to look include:

1. Workout videos
2. Popular dances like the Cupid Shuffle, Macarena, or Electric Slide
3. Moves from your favorite dancers and/or music videos
4. Dance video games
5. Friends or family members who are good dancers

(d)  Don’t forget to write down the sequence of moves and how many beats each move takes.

(e)   Practice, practice, practice (repetition is key)!

(f)   Teach your new dance to family or friends.

(g)  Consider doing your dance for an audience.

This is a great way to get yourself out of the house while still exercising and having fun with your friends

• Ice skating
• Indoor trampoline park
• Working out in gym

Healthy living FTW. Read now: