This post is courtesy of Laura Fay, CEO of HAPPYneuron
We’ve been told since our first days of P.E. how important it is to take care of bodies. Eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep. While these things still hold true today, there are now new priorities that we may not have considered in the past – like brain fitness, the idea of working our mental muscles to keep our minds sharp.
You may be familiar with the phrase “use it or lose it,” which generally applies to muscles in our bodies. Well, it also applies to the neural pathways and connections in our brains and increasing scientific evidence shows us that mental stimulation boosts brain power. Engaging in appropriately designed brain fitness workouts can help keep our minds sharp, and the best part is – it doesn’t have to feel like “work!”
Several studies cite challenging, interactive games as one effective method to keeping the brain challenged and agile, which can prevent or delay brain decline. One study, a six-month pilot study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that the scientifically-grounded HAPPYneuron (www.happy-neuron.com) online brain games can defer the effects of aging on the brain, including the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s. This is great news for anyone looking to obtain great overall health and keep their mind in shape!
At the gym, you wouldn’t train just your arms and ignore the rest of your body when trying to stay physically fit. The same is true for brain fitness – it is equally as important to stimulate more than just one area of the brain. Our brains actually have five main cognitive functions – memory, attention, language, executive functions and visual/spatial – and HAPPYneuron was specifically designed to target all five.
Similar to a personal trainer at your local gym, HAPPYneuron makes it easy to know the best routine for your brain, ensuring you’re breaking a mental sweat with each workout. A virtual coach actually gauges user progress and mental milestones, comparing game results to people of a similar age, gender and education. These comparisons help you track your progress over time, noting your strengths and helping you improve in your areas of weakness.
There are also activities you can try and do throughout the day to keep your brain active. To improve memory, try showering or getting dressed in the dark and using your opposite hand to brush your teeth. These challenges help build new associations between different parts of the brain. We can also improve our attention by simply changing our daily routines. For example, change your route to work or reorganize your desk – both will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.
Remember that mental fitness is an integral part of our entire lives and it’s never too soon to get started. While eating right and staying physically fit are crucial, be sure to also engage in regular mental workouts to keep your mind sharp.
To help you get started, use the widget below to play free games from HAPPYneuron:
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