Develop your cognitive muscles with these fun brain games and tips.
Most of us consider physical exercise an important part of our overall health, but have you considered mental exercise as part of your fitness routine? Like our bodies, we can work out and train our brain with brain games to support our cognitive abilities and brain health.
In fact, a study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development found that brain training exercises improve working memory for people of all age groups [1], and another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that individuals who brain trained were more efficient at performing everyday tasks – from writing a shopping list to operating technical equipment. [2]
Challenge your mind with these brain training tips and workouts to keep your brain performing at its best.
Work on puzzles. These games challenge your problem-solving skills and stretch your mind to rely on logic and improve your word skills, math, language and more.
- Sudoku is a popular number placement game that relies on your working memory and math skills. To complete a Sudoku puzzle, you have think ahead and anticipate the placement of numbers in nine-space grids.
- Crosswords are a classic brain trainer that works on your verbal language and memory from many areas of knowledge. A popular place to find a crossword puzzles is in a newspaper or you can get a book full of crossword puzzles to play at any time.
- Brain teasers are riddles, logic problems, quizzes and mind puzzles. They often require thinking in unconventional ways that get your mind thinking creatively.
- Jigsaw puzzles are great for engaging your short-term memory and concentration, since your brain has to sort through a series of colors and shapes in order to assemble visual pictures. The more pieces you have, the harder your brain has to work.
Download a brain training app. Now more than ever, brain games are easily accessible on any device, right at your fingertips. For a brain training experience customized for you and your brain’s needs, try the Neuriva Brain Gym. The app, available on the App Store and Google Play, includes 14 brain games that focus on different areas of cognition, including accuracy and learning, coordination, focus and concentration, memory, and perception. The Brain Gym uses your cognitive scores to identify areas of improvement, then selects the games best suited to improve those areas of cognition. Track and analyze your scores, benchmark against your friends and track your progression over time.*
Make brain training part of your daily routine. All it takes is a few minutes each day – not hours – to train your brain with brain stimulating games. Whether you work on a crossword puzzle while you eat your breakfast or play an app on your phone while you’re on your way home from work, it’s easy to dedicate a few minutes each day to get your mind working. If you make this part of your daily routine, your brain will be ready for anything. So, what are you waiting for? Get braining!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
[1] Schmiedek, F. et al. (2010), Hundred days of cognitive training enhance broad cognitive abilities in adulthood: findings from the COGITO study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: 2(27), 1-10
[2] Willis, S.L. et al. (2006), Long-term Effects of Cognitive Training on Everyday Functional Operations in Older Adults. JAMA, 296(23), 2805-2814