Orientation — Choose & Begin
Phase 1 — Entry & Orientation
Choose ONE activity from the menu below that genuinely excites you. Commit to 10–15 minutes daily — the only goal this month is to start and enjoy it. You do not need to be good at it yet. Novelty and curiosity are the only requirements.
Forum prompt this month: "Why did you choose your cognitive challenge? Share it in 3 sentences." Post your answer in the community forum — reading what others chose is itself a learning experience.
In Week 3, increase your daily practice to 20 minutes and introduce one new element — a harder piece of music, a new grammar concept, or a more complex subject to draw.
Your challenge must be genuinely new to you, it must stay hard (level up every 2–3 weeks), and you engage actively — not passively. Discomfort is the signal it's working.
Combining movement with a mental challenge makes your brain work significantly harder than either activity alone. Use one protocol per session and rotate through them. This month's phase is highlighted.
🚶 Walking / Cardio
| Phase | Protocol | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Count backwards by 7s | Start at 200. Restart if you lose track — the restart is the challenge. |
| Phase 2 | Alternating categories | Animal, city, animal, city — one per step. Two separate streams simultaneously. |
| Phase 3 | Verbal fluency burst | Name as many words starting with one letter as possible in 60 seconds. Change letter each minute. |
| Phase 4 | 1-back memory task | Say the word you named one turn ago. Directly builds working memory. |
🏋️ Strength Training
| Phase | Protocol | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Count + category per rep | Count your reps AND name one country per rep. Two separate tasks at once. |
| Phase 2 | Reverse recitation | Recite the alphabet backwards during each set. More demanding than it sounds. |
| Phase 3 | Colour-word interference | Someone calls a colour name written in a different ink — say the ink colour, not the word. |
| Phase 4 | Story construction | Build a continuous story — one word per rep. Must make grammatical sense. |
⚖️ Balance & Coordination
| Phase | Protocol | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Eyes-closed + memory recall | Single-leg balance while reciting your schedule for tomorrow or your shopping list. |
| Phase 2 | Counting + balance | Stand on one leg and count backwards by 3s. Switch legs every 20 seconds. |
| Phase 3 | Spatial memory navigation | Walk a new route entirely from memory — no GPS. One of the most powerful reserve builders. |
| Phase 4 | Demanding conversation on unstable surface | Hold a genuinely challenging conversation (debate, analysis) while on a balance pad or foam. |
🧘 Cool-Down / Stretching
| Phase | Protocol | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Day-in-reverse recall | Recall everything you did today in reverse order, as completely as possible. |
| Phase 2 | Learning consolidation | Recall 5 things you learned or noticed this week. Speak them aloud. |
| Phase 3 | Mindful body scan + breath counting | Dual attention: scan your body from feet upward AND count each breath simultaneously. |
| Phase 4 | Complex future planning | Plan a complex task or project in full detail during stretching. No writing — all mental. |
Choose or continue ONE primary challenge this month. It must be genuinely new to you — and you must level it up every 2–3 weeks.
reMYnd is a prevention program, not a clinical treatment. For concerns about your cognitive health, please speak with your GP. © reMYnd by Naomi Ferstera — remynd.com.au