Maybe you have a parent or loved one who is at high risk for a disease like Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Or maybe you’ve heard the statistics about aging and cognitive decline.
For example, did you know that just over 40% of the world’s population is between the ages of 25-54? That another 18% is over the age of 55?
And several studies within the past fifteen years estimate that somewhere between 11-13% of older Americans have dementia.
So how do you avoid cognitive decline? What can you do to protect your brain?
According to both the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) and Alzheimer’s Association, there are a few key things you can do to maintain brain health as you age:
Why Brain Games For Adults?
You’ve probably seen advertising from different https://ipnuippnupati.id/ companies, claiming their games or brain training apps are the best way to keep your brain healthy as you get older.
In 2014, two opposing groups of scientists came out with letters arguing 1) no scientific basis for the efficacy of brain training — and 2) evidence for the “brain training effect” was plentiful.
So if even large groups of scientists can’t agree, how do we know if brain games can help you keep your gray matter fully functional?
As I researched this post, what I found over and over is this: brain training games may be effective, but so are other cognitive pursuits.
The key to maintaining brain health as you age is to consistently learn new things.
Games for the brain can be a fun (and effective) way to keep your brain engaged. So let’s look at the best brain training games, what makes them great, and how you can even get some of these brain training games for free.
We’ll break them all down into categories, including both online and offline games, as well as our favorite brain training apps (and a few video games, too)
7 Best Brain Games for Adults (by Category)
If you want to be the next Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein, brain training games and memory improvement games won’t get you there.
However, when it comes to keeping your brain healthy as you age, mixing and matching the following games could be just the ticket.
When the game gets easy, switch to learning how to play something new — and keep your brain healthy and your memory sharp.
Let’s start with the games and puzzles you’re most likely to find online.
Games and Puzzles (Online)
The following games and puzzles can help boost your working memory. They often involve thinking a step or two (or more) ahead to your next move.
Sudoku
Sudoku is one of the most popular brain training games online. It’s available through a number of different sites, including both Web Sudoku and Sudoku.com (which both have iOS and Android apps available).
It’s also available at the New York Times, USAToday, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.
Tricky Test 2™ is a free IQ game that challenges you to find out if you h
ave a “genius brain.”
It includes a series of brain teasers and solutions designed to trick you — these puzzles are available through both the App Store and Google Play.
Left vs Right: Brain Games for Brain Training
Left vs Right was designed to “test your awareness, adaptability, reflex, reasoning, precision, and patience.”
Free brain training games are included to help you test your brain — and the app is available through Google Play, the App Store, and Amazon. While the app is free, in-app purchases are offered, including a VIP subscription option allowing you to access all 49 of the games.
A Clockwork Brain
A Clockwork Brain is a “series of fun and challenging games, specifically designed to test memory, attention, dexterity, language, and reasoning.”
Each of the puzzles features adaptive difficulty to keep your brain engaged, and is available in the App Store and Google Play, as well as through the Microsoft Store.
Brain Games for Adults (Offline)
While there are options to play most of these types of games and puzzles online or on your device, you might want to stick to the traditional forms.
Why? Because the social aspect of the games makes them more powerful — by getting together with a friend (or a few) you can boost the brain-health factor.
Let’s start with a classic game for brainy people.
Chess
When you think of mentally challenging and complex games, chess is probably one of the first that comes to mind. Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, (and even Deep Blue)… some of the greatest players of all time prove that chess is a game of strategy and concentration.
The game of chess helps train your working memory and improves your brain’s executive function as you plan and strategize. It also improves fast decision-making, while honing your concentration.
Crossword Puzzles
When it comes to minimizing cognitive decline, crosswords have been declared the go-to solution. These puzzles contribute to the development of memory and attention skills, as well as increased fluency (the ability to find words).
Like all the games and puzzles we’ll cover today, if the puzzles start feeling too easy it’s probably time to switch to another brainy pursuit. For example, if you usually play American crosswords you might try switching over to the British style (specifically their “cryptic crosswords”) to test your true riddle- and puzzle-solving skills.
No responses yet