While you might be aware that it’s essential to exercise your body regularly, you might be failing to routinely use your brain, which can, unfortunately, speed up the aging process and even lead to the development of a neurological disorder.
Thankfully, there are numerous games you can play that can support your good mental health. Continue reading to discover the best games to keep you both young and healthy.
Fight Dementia with Sudoku
Sudoku is a puzzle game that requires players to insert numbers from one to nine in a grid of nine squares, which are subdivided into an additional nine squares. The goal is to have every number appearing once in each vertical and horizontal line and square.
Sudoku cannot only help the hours to fly by, but it can also work wonders for your health. If you want to remain mentally sharp as you age, this is the game for you, as it can reportedly improve your memory, stimulate your mind, and boost your concentration power.
The challenging activity could also help your brain remain healthy. According to the American Alzheimer’s Association, the game can decrease a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is a form of
Stimulate Your Mind with Bingo
Bingo is a fun, flexible activity that can keep your brain sharp and can provide much-needed social interaction. The fun pastime, which can be played in both large and small groups, requires much concentration and can improve your listening skills. Plus, as you will need to remember the numbers on a card to win the game, can also boost your memory.
That’s exactly why this stimulating game is commonly played in retirement communities across the world. The social element can also reduce loneliness, which can reportedly help people to lead happier and longer lives. That’s because social interaction can decrease feelings of isolation while combating depression, lowering blood pressure, and it can even help you develop a stronger immune system.
If all the above wasn’t reason enough to play, you might be happy to learn it can help to improve your hand-eye coordination skills and reflexes, as it will require you to remember your numbers and to act quickly once they are called. You also don’t need to enter a bingo hall to play, either, as you could boost your brainpower by playing online bingo at home or on-the-go on a mobile device.
Improve Your Mental Health with Crosswords
One classic game that will keep your brain both young and healthy is the crossword puzzle. It cannot only test your general knowledge, but it can also provide a form of stress relief.
As you will spend your time racking your brain for an answer, it can provide a welcome distraction from your everyday worries. Completing a challenging crossword can also offer a great sense of achievement, which can boost your self-esteem and support your mental health.
A UC-Berkeley study has also found that crosswords, as well as other mentally stimulating activities, can potentially help to counteract anxiety. It is believed crosswords support logical reasoning and concentration, which can help alleviate the symptoms of mental health disorder. Crosswords can also reportedly prevent a build-up of beta-amyloid, which is a brain plaque component and can consequently reduce the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Stay Mentally Fit with Word Searches
Never allow anyone to say that puzzles are nothing more than mindless fun. Tackling the challenge cannot only help the hours fly by, but they also improve your health. For example, completing a word search can keep you mentally fit, improve your vocabulary, and immerse yourself in the activity could help to combat stress.
It is also believed that completing a 15-minute word search can significantly improve your mood. Finding a word in the puzzle will stimulate your brain’s reward molecule, which can lead to feelings of happiness and motivation. An active mind can also boost a person’s brain development and memory, which could potentially such as dementia.
Boost Your Brain Power with Logic Puzzles
Logic puzzles can considerably boost your brainpower, as they will require you to find a solution and think outside the box. It is for this reason why seniors should tackle various puzzles in their spare time, as it can support their neural pathways and can enable their lateral thinking.
So, find different brain teasers that will require you to find an answer to a question or a solution to a problem.
Challenge Your Mind with Trivia Games
Another option is to play fun trivia games, which are a superb way to stimulate your mind and develop a brain that is more agile. For example, a round or two of Trivial Pursuit can cover a variety of topics that will challenge the mind and boost your brainpower.
You can answer questions on history, geography, entertainment, science, and literature. It can also support a player’s mental health, as they could feel a great sense of achievement when they correctly answer a question or even win a round or two.
Conclusion
If you want to retain information easily, support your mental health, and ward off various neurological disorders, you would be smart to tackle one of the above puzzles in your spare time.
For example, you could complete a logic puzzle on the commute to work, play a fun game of bingo after a hard day at the office, or you could leisurely complete a crossword on a relaxing Sunday morning. You are bound to feel the many benefits once you enter your senior years.