If you want your muscles to be larger or more defined, you’ve got to go to the gym and exercise them in order to do so. Most people know this to be true. But what many people are unware of, however, is that your brain requires the same type of for peak performance.

It is a bit of an odd comparison, considering the fact that muscles grow to be visually impressive and brains, well, aren’t exactly sexy. The brain may be rather ugly, and it doesn’t grow bigger from exercise, but putting in the effort for it to operate at the highest level has its own rewards. By completing seemingly random tasks such as brain games, juggling, or even by eating foods like kale or blueberries, your brain grows stronger and more efficient.

Different kinds of mental stimulation have been known to increase the effectiveness of your cognitive activity. After eating certain foods such as kale, blueberries, or avocados, your brain tends to perform better. These foods, along with many others, help combat one of the more malicious influences on mental activity: stress. These “brain foods” do more than just help us look better or feel better. By eating these foods, you’re introducing rich antioxidants into your system that do wonders for cerebral prowess. These foods help keep stress levels down, which in turn helps your brain operate at a higher level.

Although they aren’t as easy as simply eating the right foods, there are other methods for improving your brain’s activity. Working towards mastering any seemingly difficult task does wonders for the brain. I say ‘seemingly’ because yes, they seem difficult at first, but as your brain wraps itself around the idea of them, these skills seem obtainable. What practicing these tasks does to the brain is change the structure of your neural connections – making them more cohesive and easier to use on a regular basis.

Getting a good night of sleep is also more beneficial towards your brainpower than most are aware. Making sure you get a healthy amount of sleep (not too much, or too little) is critical for peak mental performance. According to a study done by the University of California, Berkley, getting adequate sleep makes a big difference. There were two groups of participants in the study: one where they all napped before a memory test, and one where they did not. The results of the study showed a 10% decline of test scores for those who had not napped beforehand. Their consensus was that while asleep, even if just for a nap, the brain takes the time to work as a sort of filing cabinet, categorizing and organizing all the new information, making it more accessible in the future.

Not only does paying more attention to your brain’s health improve your life short-term, it has also been linked to the long-term prevention of mental illnesses. Although it seems unbelievable that simple brain games can reduce the likelihood of serious mental diseases, studies show that it makes a big difference. Alzheimer’s disease is one example of neurons in the brain breaking down over time. According to alz.org, this mental decline can be avoided by partaking in mental exercises regularly.

In a day and age where physical appearance is becoming more and more important in society’s eyes, it is important to remember what truly matters most. Yes, spending quality time in the gym working on your physical health is very important, but not more than the quality of your mental processes. Keep your brain sharp, as it will only improve your day-to-day life in more ways than you will even recognize.