Dec
17

Brain Games Benefit You Now, and In The Future

admin online brain games 6 comments

Many people question whether the benefits of playing brain games will translate into other areas of life?  For instance, if you physically exercise with weights in the gym, you usually get stronger and can engage in other physical activities with more strength and vigor. But does this same sort of thing happen with mental exercises and playing games for the brain? Or do you just get good at the specific tasks associated with those brain games and that’s it? And if that’s the case, are they really even worth it then?

Well, I guess that depends on the specific type of mental exercise. For instance, doing a crossword puzzle might be a challenge for one person, but not another. So in the case of the later, the person is really not challenging his or her brain and therefore the benefit will be minimal. The reason for this is fully discussed in, “Online Brain Games: 5 Characteristics of Good Ones”.

Recent studies (“Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age”) have documented that mental exercises like playing online brain games do help with everyday tasks such as shopping, making meals and handling finances. In addition, they help build what’s called a cognitive reserve which is noted and discussed in the post, “How Big Is Your Brain Buffer?”. Such a reserve helps thwart the affects of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia later in life.

So playing brain games can benefit you both now, and in the future.

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Dec
16

Nintendo Brain Age Games – A game for all ages!

admin brain game review 4 comments

What age group do you think of first when you think about those who play Nintendo Brain Age Games? Up until recently, I would of thought of children not adults – or at least those much younger than I am.  But what really opened my eyes about playing Nintendo Brain Age Games was a recent comment I got from Ingrid, one of my readers.

Here’s the comment Ingrid left on my blog post titled, “Does Playing Nintendo Brain Age Really Do You Any Good?”

I am 65 and have been doing Brain Age since June of 2007, and Brain Age 2 since August of 2007. I have been doing both of them every day since then, but as of this Summer, I have only been doing 3 training programs per day, plus the brain age test.. What is most wonderful about it is that it keeps track of your 3 highest scores, so there is always something to “beat”. My brain age is 20 almost every day. I feel that it has improved my mental alertness considerably. How many people can do 100 math calculation on ‘hard’ in 67 seconds? That’s my all time high score. Remembering 29 out of 30 words after two minutes, and being able to remember where 25 different numbers are on a grid, I think it’s amazing! I really enjoy it, and it takes less than an hour to do both of them.. I recommend it to all who like to put themselves to the test!

Wow! Now that’s an impressive endorsement for people of all ages to play Nintendo Brain Age Games, don’t you think icon wink Nintendo Brain Age Games – A game for all ages!

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brainagegame thumb Nintendo Brain Age Games – A game for all ages!

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! Nintendo Brain Age Games – A game for all ages!

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Dec
15

Online Brain Games: 5 Characteristics of Good Ones

admin online brain games 6 comments

All online brain games and mental exercises must have these 3 *primary* characteristics in order to be of maximum benefit to your brain.

The 3 primary characteristics are:

  1. Novelty
  2. Variety
  3. Challenge

I wrote about these 3 primary characteristics in a previous post titled, “What Makes Mental Exercise Beneficial, or NOT?”

Over the last 15-20yrs, scientists have discovered that our brain can:

  • Grow new connections
  • Grow new neurons
  • Re-wire itself

The ability of our brain to do this is called neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity. The good news about brain plasticity is that it is made available to us at any age. It is now a myth that our brain cannot change or renew itself as we grow old or that our brain function must decline with age. The 3 primary characteristics noted above must be present in any online brain game or mental exercise activity in order for the benefit of brain plasticity to be realized.

Besides the 3 primary characteristics , I believe there are 2 additional characteristics that are also important when considering an online brain game or mental exercise.

The 2 secondary characteristics are:

  1. Fun/ Enjoyment
  2. Cost

I call these *secondary* characteristics because they aren’t really necessary in order for an online brain game or mental exercise to be of benefit to your brain. But they are still important, and here’s why..

Fun/Enjoyment – A good online brain game or mental exercise should be fun and provide you with enjoyment. I say this because if an online brain game or mental exercise activity is fun, you’re more likely to stay with the program. Just like with a physical fitness program, you need to stay with the brain fitness program in order to reap lasting benefits. Likewise, if it is boring and feels like a chore, you won’t stick with it and then it will be of no value to you.

Cost – So what about cost? Free brain games abound on the internet. Are they any good? Are paid-for games better for you that free ones? The answer is that it all depends.

I wrote a post called, “Why Should You Pay For A Commercial Brain Game?”. In it I go into great detail on the benefits of paying for a commercial online brain game.

Again, the 3 primary characteristics must be present. It doesn’t really matter if the online brain game is free or if it cost you $500 or more. It doesn’t matter if you’re evaluating a free crossword puzzle or an expensive “scientifically designed” brain game. The 3 primary characteristics are the key to evaluating any online brain games potential benefit to your brain.

If you do intend to spend money on an online brain game, make sure you have the ability to evaluate it based on the 3 primary characteristics. Most good online brain games that do cost money have either free trials or have a return policy with a full refund possible. This helps to insure you have the ability to properly check out the online brain game before you commit.

So there you have it.. The 5 key characteristics that all good 0nline brain games must have in order to be of maximum benefit to your brain.  Make sure you use them when evaluating any online brain game or mental exercise activity.

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Dec
12

What Makes Mental Exercise Beneficial, or NOT?

admin mental exercise 5 comments

There are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of mental exercise games available online that are touted as being brain games. Some are offered as free online brain games and others are sold as commercial brain games. The big question is, how do you know if playing any of these mental exercise games will actually improve your brain fitness? How do you know if one form of mental exercise or brain game is better for you than another? The answer to these questions depends on whether the particular mental exercise and or brain game contains the three primary characteristics Neuroscientists say are necessary.

Mental Exercise Should Contain These Primary Characteristics

Any form of mental exercise or brain game should contain the following three primary characteristics in order for it to be of maximum benefit to our brain according to Neuroscientists.

  1. Novelty
  2. Variety
  3. Challenge

These three characteristics will depend greatly of course on who we are and what we do. A mental exercise such as a crossword puzzle might be something new and challenging for one person, but not for another. The same can be said about a video game, free brain games or a commercial brain game. In addition, a particular mental exercise or brain game, over time, will lose its benefit if it loses its novelty or no longer is a challenge for you.

So when evaluating and or comparing any mental exercise or brain game, these three primary characteristics should be used as general guidelines.

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