Brain Health and Fitness News Links June 14th 2009

Below are a few of the best links I’ve come across so far this month on the web with respect to brain exercise, brain games, memory improvement, anti-aging and general overall brain health and fitness. I hope you will find them as informative and useful as I did.

Below are the links with article summaries:

7 surprising ways to keep your brain young – Around the time we hit 30, our brains begin a slow, steady downward trajectory — or so popular wisdom would have it. In fact, according to a flurry of new reports, you can counteract age-related changes in the brain with a surprisingly simple regimen of activities guaranteed to nurture and fortify your mental muscle-power.

Experts reveal best ways to save an aging brain – Most people are worried about losing their memory as they age, and a new study shows it’s a valid concern: In fact, at 53 percent — more than half of all people — have at least a minor mental decline in their 70s and 80s, and about 16 percent develop more serious problems with memory and other mental functions as they age. What’s more, when the researchers took a close look at this group, whom they call “cognitive maintainers,” they found evidence that although genes or illnesses can increase the risk of memory loss, there are still many things you can do to save your aging brain.

Workouts to keep your Brain sharp – Like physical exercise mental activities are also necessary for every human being. There are several activities within your limit which can effectively make your brain strong & sharp.

The Truth About Energy Drinks – Do energy drinks really rev up your body and sharpen your mind? To help you separate the science from the sales pitch, we analyzed the claims and ingredients of five of the most popular potions on the market, and rated them from best to worst.

Inexpensive Magnesium Proves Impressive at Protecting the Brain – The latest feather in magnesium’s cap is its newly discovered ability to protect the brain and improve the neurological outcomes of infants and adults who have had oxygen deprivation to their brains.

Games and Fun – Stress results in increased cortisol, anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and adverse bodily functions. One simple remedy for stress reduction is to increase the amount of fun in your life. Consumers indicate that two primary reasons they play online brain games are for stress reduction and mental stimulation.

June 14, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: brain fitness  3 Comments

Clues To Maintaining Brain Fitness Into Old Age

In recent years scientists have become extremely interested in what could be called a super memory club. This club is made up of the fewer than 1 in 200 people who have lived past 90 years old without a trace of Alzheimer disease or other form of dementia. It’s a group that for the first time is large enough to provide a glimpse into the lucid brain at the furthest reach of human life. Begun by University of Southern California researchers in 1981 and called the 90+ Study, it has included more than 14,000 people aged 65 and older, and more than 1,000 aged 90 or older.

So what has the study uncovered thus far with respect to maintaining brain fitness as we age?

  • Stay mentally active – Keep doing things that are mentally challenging.  For instance playing brain games or other form of mentally challenging activity.
  • Stay socially active – Continue to visit with others and stay engaged with other people on a regular basis. Spend time doing things together with others.

Something as simple as participating in a bridge club or playing board games or other type of group activity with others on a regular basis can fulfill both of these requirements quite well.

You can read more about the study mentioned above and the results they’ve discovered thus far by clicking here.

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June 9, 2009  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: brain fitness  5 Comments

Looking for Some Online Math Games?

I’ve scoured the web looking for online math games. I listed the best of the online math games that I found below. Please check them out and be sure to let me know what you think.

Most of the online math games below can be played by children who know basic math skills. They also provide a good review for older folks to brush up on these math skills and to stay mentally sharp.

If you know of any other good online math games, please send the links to me and I will add them to the list.

Check back often as I will be updating this post often with new online math game links!

Note: All links below are listed alphabetically by category.

Individual Online Math Games:

Marsmoney

Number Puzzles

Reaction Math — Try to improve your time!

Sudoku — (Sudoku Rules and tips)

Links to Online Math Game Websites:

aplusmath

arcademicskillbuilders

coolmath-games

funbrain

gamequarium

sheppardsoftware

themathgames

Remember to check back often as I will add to this list of online math games when I find more good ones!

Last updated: 5/30/09

May 30, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: online brain games  5 Comments

A Simple Yoga Exercise To Build Your Brain Power

I recently stumbled upon an interesting Yoga brain training exercise that according to it’s developer can enhance ones brain function and fitness. It’s called SuperBrain Yoga and is being used by doctors and teachers alike to improve peoples thinking and mental function. Improved grades and increased mental focus among people who practice Superbrain Yoga are being reported, even among those with mental disabilities.

SuperBrain Yoga is essentially a form of acupressure and breathing technique used to balance both hemispheres of the brain and bring energy up to the brain. It was developed by Master Choa Kok Sui who has written a book on the subject. The exercise is easy to learn, takes only a few minutes to do and can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

According to the book, Superbrain Yoga by Master Chao Kok Sui, a Superbrain Yoga pilot study conducted by doctors in New Jersey with children ages 5-to-9 years of age possessing a variety of neurological disabilities reported the following subjective results:

  • The children are more focused and ready to work.
  • The children are displaying improved emotional states.
  • The child displaying bizarre behaviors appears to have a normal behavior.
  • The memory and retention of new information appears to have improved.
  • The entire dynamic of the class has improved dramatically.

I’ve been practicing Superbrain Yoga myself for awhile now and can report improved mental clarity, focus and a feeling of calmness after each exercise. It’s great to do first thing in the morning or anytime you need a quick boost of energy.

The video below shows people performing the Superbrain Yoga technique and provides some great testimonials.

A few important points to remember when practicing Superbrain Yoga not mentioned in the video are:

  • Connect your tongue to your palate.
  • Face East
  • The left arm must be inside and the right arm must be outside (over the left arm).
  • Inhale while squatting down and exhale while standing up.
  • You thumbs should be touching the front part of your earlobes, index fingers behind the earlobes.
  • Perform the exercise 14-21 times, once or twice a day.

For more detailed information on Superbrain Yoga, you might also want to check out the book titled Superbrain Yoga by clicking here.

May 18, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: brain fitness  11 Comments

Why Should You Pay For A Commercial Brain Game?

There are literally thousands of free brain games available online. In fact, The Online Brain Games Blog itself has links to hundreds of them. So why then, would anyone want to pay cold hard cash for a brain game? Well, having played both free and commercial brain games for some time now, I have some experience in this regard. As a result, I can provide you with five good reasons as to why you might want to consider purchasing a commercial brain game.

1) Neuroscience

One of the biggest differences between a free brain game and a commercial one, besides the cost of course, is that most commercial brain games are either designed, reviewed or tested by Neuroscientists. The big benefit to you in this is that you’ll know that neuroscience is being used in the game methodology and design with respect to how our brains best grow and improve. So one of the things you need to do when checking out any commercial brain game for purchase is to see the list of Neuroscientists that either designed, reviewed, advised, or tested that particular brain game.

2) Targeted Brain Training

Another major benefit of a commercial brain game over a free one is that most commercial brain games are designed to target more than one aspect of brain enhancement. For instance, areas such as memory, attention, cognitive control, and processing speed can be targeted and trained separately. The best games provide specific brain training in more than just one aspect of brain enhancement. Check the particular game you’re looking into for what areas of brain enhancement it targets.

3) Game Challenge Adaptability

In order for your brain to grow, it needs to be continually challenged. One benefit of almost all commercial brain games is that they will continually adapt to you as you get better. In other words, the better you get at a given game, the harder or more challenging it will become. This aspect of game adaptability actually provides you with some longevity with respect to how long a particular game will be of benefit to you and your brain.

4) Progress, Record Keeping and Positive Feedback

A nice feature of commercial brain games is that they keep track of your progress over time. If the game trains you in different cognitive areas, it will score and track your progress separately in each area. This provides you with positive feedback which ultimately helps you stay with the program.  It also lets you know what areas you need to spend more time training on as well.

5) Support

When you purchase a commercial brain game, you’re buying from a company dedicated to that games success. As such, you’ll have support lines with which you can call or email should you need assistance of any kind. This is something you just don’t get with a free brain game.

As a final note, you need to understand that what might be greatly beneficial for one person with respect to a particular brain game (free or commercial) might not be as beneficial to another. There is no “one size fits all”. I cover this along with how you can best choose a brain game specifically for you in a special report I send out to The Online Brain Games Blog newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to obtain this report for free, fill out the request form below and it will be sent you via email immediately.

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May 6, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: commercial brain games  8 Comments


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