6 Brain Exercises That Work

Working at brain-challenging exercises won’t reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other kinds of dementia, nor will it reduce progression rates of these diseases, says Zaldy Tan, M.D., director of the Cedars-Sinai Memory and Aging Program and medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

But they do provide significant benefits and can make your life better, he says.

A Workout for Your Mind

Brain games stimulate different cognitive functions, such as executive function and processing speed, in older adults. And they can enhance your life in other ways. “They can help your social life, particularly in group trainings that provide socialization that otherwise you won’t have,” says Dr. Tan. Similar to exercising in a workout class with a friend, the experience itself is enhanced by being with other people.

Isolation Prevention

When you play a stimulating game with other people, you get the added bonus of companionship, which provides protective health benefits for older adults, according to several studies.

What’s more, socializing itself has a cognitive component to it, says Park. “When you’re engaged in a social situation, you are stimulating multiple cognitive systems at the same time. You’re composing sentences, learning new names, remembering what the person you just spoke to told you about their work or family, paying attention to the broader party scene and maybe even balancing a plate and drink while in high heels. A lot of inter-related cognitive work is going on,” she says.

A Sense of Control

Brain exercises can play an important role in creating a positive outlook for older adults especially for those who are retired or are dealing with illness.

“People need purpose and a sense of control,” says Dr. Tan. “If they are losing their memory, or they’ve received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, they might feel they have no control over it. Brain exercises and games can give them a chance to feel like ‘I’m in control here, and I can improve,’ and this will improve their mood.”

New Brain Connections

“I tell patients, ‘Challenge your mind,’” says Dr. Tan. “If you are an accountant and numbers are easy for you, take an art class. If you’ve been a neurosurgeon for 30 years, learn a new language. For a neurosurgeon, that’s more challenging than brain surgery. Challenge your mind so that, at least in theory, you’ll develop new synapses with every new thing you learn.” (Synapses are the spaces between cells through which cells connect and communicate.)

But for these new brain connections to be sustainable, the activity also has to interest you, he adds.

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