In this day and age, we must keep our minds sharp! And while brain games might not necessarily be the end-all-be-all when it comes to improving our intelligence, they can be influential when it comes to increasing our mental fitness.
We’re here to give you some insights on what brain games are, and the benefits they provide as well as give you some examples of brain games you can try for yourself. Let’s get started!
What are Brain Games?
While the name might seem relatively self-explanatory, brain games are essentially games that include tasks. Whether it be memory, logic, quick thinking, or giving attention, there are tons of different tasks that can be included in a brain game. These tasks can help with high cognitive performance and increase mental fitness as you challenge your brain.
Brain games can include anything from puzzles and brain teasers to video games. There are tons of different types of brain games which means there’s something for just about everyone to enjoy!
What are the Benefits of Brain Games?
When it comes to the benefits of brain games, it’s generally known that the more you practice the skills used for a game, the more you will improve those skills. That’s why they can be so great for improving mental fitness.
Can Brain Games Improve Your Memory?
While it’s not necessarily a proven fact, experts agree that you can improve your memory skills by playing memory-boosting games. If you are to continuously test your ability to remember certain things, whether it be numbers or patterns, you will slowly improve your ability to remember those numbers and patterns.
If you would like to get serious about improving your memory then you might consider a brain game that makes you name specific items in a room. You can slowly improve your ability to memorise and have some fun while you’re at it!
How Does Brain Training Make Our Brains Faster and Stronger?
As you play brain games, your brain starts to change. You can influence the way your brain works and how you learn. As your brain adapts, it rewires and can improve when it comes to performance in certain areas.
What Types of Brain Games Work Best?
You can increase your mental fitness with even the simplest of brain games. You don’t need to invest in high-end brain training programmes to see results. Start with brain games that are on the simpler side and figure out which ones work best for you from there.
5 Brain Games to Increase Your Mental Fitness
Ready to learn about our five favorite brain games that can increase your mental fitness? Let’s dive in!
Lumosity
If you haven’t heard of the brain game Lumosity before you’re missing out! Lumosity is great for stimulating different parts of the brain and improving memory. This is particularly important for adults as the brain begins to lose connections as you age. You want to continue to exercise the parts of the brain that help you with memory, problem, solving, and attention span.
Lumosity includes tons of different puzzles and games that work your ability to recollect information. It can help to fight against dementia and save you from memory loss. Find it on puzzle sites online for free and get started on improving your memory.
Crosswords and Sudoku
You’re probably familiar with the classic games of crossword and sudoku. But did you know that they’re also known as brain games?
Games like crossword and sudoku help you to build a stronger mind. You can increase their difficulty of them if you begin to notice them becoming too easy as well.
There are tons of newspaper games that can be great for stimulating your mind.
Major bonus: These types of games are often included in your local newspaper which is likely delivered to your door every day. You can easily make a routine out of playing these puzzles and increasing your mental fitness.
Chess and Checkers
The classic games of chess and checkers just might be more influential on your brain than you think! Playing chess can help to raise your IQ and help to prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia in older adults. That’s because these types of games help to create responsive patterns that improve your memory.
Not only that, chess and checkers can help to stimulate creativity which helps to exercise the other side of your brain. You have to make quick decisions and think on your feet to succeed, which can be very influential on brain strength.
Board Games
Who doesn’t love a board game? Board games can be great for bringing friends and family together to have a bit of fun. They can also be great for increasing mental fitness.
Monopoly, for example, is a game that requires you to be both creative and strategic with each move you make. You have to make decisions and keep up business relationships which can be challenging mentally.
Try setting up an ongoing games night with your family and friends and you’ll be well on your way to exercising your brain while enjoying your time with others.
The Grocery List Game
The grocery list game is particularly great for improving your memory. All you need to do is gather a group of friends and form a circle. The first person starts the game with the phrase “I went to the grocery store and bought…” followed by the name of something they “bought”. Each person then adds an item to the end of the sentence until you have a long list of grocery items that each person needs to remember.
As the game goes on it gets more and more difficult. The more you play the more your memory improves!
Give these brain games a try and you’re sure to increase your mental fitness and have some fun while you’re at it.
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