Research has shown it is important to stay in shape, to be fit, in order to stay healthy. That is why we all bother to go to the gym instead of staying at home, and veg out in front of the tv with a bag of crisps. Well, looking good is another excellent reason to go to the gym. Apart from all your muscles, your brain is part of our body as well and it can probably do with a bit of training.
Why is brain training important?
By letting your brain cells work a little bit extra every now and then, you will stay sharp. And this does not only work for older people. It is best to start at a younger age because apparently our cognitive functions diminish as of age 30. Quite a depressing thought really.
So in order to stay healthy as long as possible, also make sure your brain works out. Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine by Dr Joe Verghese from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has shown that you can improve your brain functions by doing mentally stimulating activities at least four times a week.
What are the best tips for training your brain?
You will be happy to know that playing any sort of game is a good way of staying sharp. Doing puzzles works well, especially difficult ones like 100 Gold Coins. That forces your brain to think in an unusual way and your synapses are fired.
Of course most card games are good for brain training, you have to remember the cards and who has which card, for example with bridge or canasta. A game like poker is also a good way to train your brain as it involves a lot strategical thinking. Poker games can be organized with friends at home – you’ll have to keep an eye on what everyone else is doing, who is bluffing, who is ready to fold and there is your own hand of cards of course. If your hand is weak, you’ll have to turn to tricks to keep your opponents thinking, and that is sure to keep your brain active.
Video games are also great for brain training: for instance it was proven that after playing Super Mario for two weeks, users have improved their memory recall by 12%. As for role-playing games like League of Legends, they stimulate social interaction, improve players’ communication skills and let people make life-long friendships!
What else can you do to stay fit mentally?
Apart from playing games, it is also suggested that, in order to improve brain function, anything new is good, so for example to start a new hobby, to learn a new language or to go visit a different part of your town or surroundings. The key about this is that it must be totally new. So it is not about improving on your French or Spanish if you already know a bit about the language in question. It has to be new in every way, so maybe start learning German or Swedish!
Another thing that works well is to engage your brain when you are just resting. Try to remember telephone numbers, a rare thing in this day and age where all phone numbers are pre-programmed on your phone.
As long as you keep trying and doing new things, you will keep your brain as fit as possible. And you can definitely have fun while doing it.
Conrad Armer 
Raymond Bilger 
Clare Louise