It's that time of the year when both students and parents feel "exam pressure". Students are under pressure to perform their best, but doing so requires a balanced approach to health, in addition to consistent studying. This balanced approach helps students boost their memory and remember what they have studied.

Dr Hariprasad, an Ayurveda expert at The Himalaya Drug Company, recommends the following tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the upcoming exams:

* Exercise regularly: Physical activity is an effective tool to improve academic performance. Studies conducted at the University of British Columbia have shown that regular aerobic exercise boosts the size of part of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning. Exercise also helps in improving memory and thinking ability for students by increasing oxygen flow to the brain. It's easy to forget to exercise your body in the midst of all the mental exertion, but this is important as physical exercise boosts brain function in a variety of ways.

* Maintain a healthy diet: Eating healthy is a good practice to maintain at all times, but it assumes greater significance in the exam season. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, fish and poultry is particularly good to adopt at this time. It will enable students to fulfil all their nutritional needs, so their bodies can perform at an optimum level. They require adequate nourishment to fuel brain activity and aid in memory retention. Eating healthy also helps prevent illnesses.

* Appropriate herbs in daily diet: According to Ayurvedic texts and modern research, Brahmi helps promote memory, intelligence and enhances alertness. It is a potent mental tonic that calms the mind, provides clarity in thinking and boosts memory retention. Taking this herb regularly improves certain brain chemicals that will improve mental agility, helping students to achieve their goals.

* Get adequate sleep: While preparing for exams, one of the body's most important needs is sometimes foregone — sleep. Students preparing for exams should get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night to maintain good mental and physical health. Studies conducted by Harvard University have shown that there is a strong relationship between sleep and memory: Students who get adequate sleep usually get better grades than those who do not. Sleep solidifies and boosts short-term memory into long-term memory. Adequate sleep helps students be more receptive to information and, consequently, enables better performance in exams.

Following these simple tips in addition to regular and effective studying will help students retain information more efficiently and provide the much-needed boost for their upcoming examinations.