Working out is essential for building strength and maintaining a healthy, functional body. But did you know that it’s just as important to exercise your mind? Keeping your brain in top shape improves thinking and memory skills. In fact, regularly challenging your mind through fitness can prevent or put off cognitive decline. You might have expected the best brain workout to be traditional word games, but we’ve rounded up six unconventional balance exercises that put both your mind and body to work. Balance naturally declines with age, because of changes in muscle strength, coordination, neural communication and vision — and your brain is a key player. “The brain plays a central role because balance is a neuromuscular skill that integrates input from the eyes, inner ear and proprioceptors to maintain stability,” explains Mallory Fox, a certified personal trainer and wellness coach.…