Health aNd Fitness Guide

Stop the music. The few seconds of quiet between symphonic movements or song tracks actually engage your brain more than the music itself, say researchers at McGill University and Stanford University of medicine. “It’s a moment when the brain can enjoy what you have already heard and anticipate what you will hear next”, says Stanford neuroscientist Vinod Menon. That stimulates areas of the brain which control mental focus and memory. For a mental workout, queue up music you haven’t heard before, from composers or band with varying styles, and listen to the entire album.