Keeping Your Brain Fit
Last week I wrote about the benefits of keeping our body fit as we age. But what about keeping our brain fit? Most of us have heard or seen advertisements for brain training games, but what’s it all about? Well, just as our bodies tend to slow down as we age, so do our minds.
How can we combat the effects of aging and keep our brain fit?
Brain games!
Brain games are all the rage nowadays. From Sudoku, to crossword puzzles, to online memory games we’re looking for ways to keep our minds sharp and our brains fit. A variety of studies have tested the theory that brain games can help improve our brain function. For over 10 years, the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) studied three groups to learn the benefits of brain training: a memory training group, a reasoning and speed-of processing group, and a control group that did not receive training. The study recently reported that all test groups experienced a decline in brain function over time, but those in the group that received reasoning and speed-of-processing training showed less of a decline. Another study reported that this same type of training was shown to improve driving performance.
OK, so what is speed-of-process training? Basically, visual exercises train the brain to speed up and process information more quickly. According to brainHQ from Posit Science, the speed-of-process training used in the ACTIVE study was an earlier version of one of their training games.
But not everyone agrees about brain training. According to an article in the New York Times,brain fitness is a theory that is still developing. The article’s authors argue that it doesn’t seem to be supported by scientific research. They say, “Having mentally challenging hobbies, like learning a new language or playing bridge, can help maintain cognitive performance.” But that expecting any single brain exercise program to be a quick fix for general mental function is not realistic.
What could it hurt though? Researcher Zach Hambrick says that it can be a dangerous and naive view. “If you are doing brain training for ten hours a week, that is ten hours a week you are not doing something else, like exercising.”
Ah Yes, Exercise
Remember, when we’re sitting in front of a computer screen, we are physically inactive. We need to get up and move! Physical exercise not only helps our bodies get fit, it improves our memory and brain function as well. It’s a two for one: reduce the effects of aging on your brain and your body at the same time! Even a brisk walk for 30 minutes a couple times a week can make a difference.
A 35-year study at Cardiff University found that exercise had the single biggest influence on dementia levels. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Society says that it can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 45 percent. So it’s not just in your head—it’s in your heart, your lungs, and your muscles too. Our brains don’t exist in a vacuum; they coexist in harmony with the rest of our body. “Physical exercise may be one of the most beneficial and cost-effective therapies widely available to everyone to elevate memory performance,” said Dr. Sandra Chapman, Founder and Chief Director of The Center for BrainHealth
The synergy of mental and physical
“The combination of physical and mental exercise may be the best health measures to improve overall cognitive brain health. We have just begun to test the upper boundaries of how we can enhance our brain’s performance into late life. To think we can alter and improve the basic structure of the mature brain through aerobic exercise and complex thinking should inspire us to challenge our thinking and get moving at any age.” —Dr. Sandra Chapman
Don’t let yourself get so involved in brain games that you forget to exercise. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket; you may see obvious results from brain training, and you may not. Just make it fun. Find a fun way to exercise, and find brain games that you enjoy. Strike a healthy balance.
Check out these websites for some fun brain games:
Free:
National Geographic Brain Games
AARP Brain Games
What brain games have you found that you enjoy?
Related articles
Exercise Your Brain to Prevent the Onset of Dementia
