There’s a new fitness revolution happening in America – and it has nothing to do with firming your abs or pumping iron.It’s all about improving mental ability and brainpower just like building muscle tone and strength. This “brain boom” includes everything from traditional brain teasers like crossword puzzles and scrabble to advanced computer-based brain training designed to improve memory and intelligence – even stress reduction.
Until recently, seniors have been the biggest users of brain training, for benefits ranging from cognitive improvement to Alzheimer’s prevention. Now, those under 50 are jumping on the brain fitness wagon as well, but for different reasons. Large corporations are offering brain fitness programs to their employees, and finding that improvements in productivity, stress reduction and even reducing negative feelings far outweigh the cost. As one CEO said,”To make my employees five or ten years younger mentally is a tremendous benefit.”
The scientific foundation of the brain training industry is the idea of brain “plasticity”, or how our brains can change and grow by forming new connections between brain cells. Brain training works by progressively making our brains do more difficult or unfamiliar tasks. This creates the new connections.
In the last few years, dozens of studies have shown that brain training can build better brains, not only in seniors and those with cognitive problems, but in much younger people as well. A recent University of Michigan study found that brain training markedly improved “fluid intelligence” and cognitive ability in college students!
Whether you’re interested in preventing Alzheimer’s or just staying competitive in the workplace, there’s a brain training program that’s just right for you. Best of all, many are free or offer a free trial period. If you’re on a budget, start with one of these free web sites that can give your brain a workout:
www.braingle.com has over 20,000 brain teasers, logic challenges and mind puzzles.
www. brainmetrix.com has cognitive training games and brain fitness workouts.
www.cognitivelabs.com offers a “brain gym” to build brain power and ability.
www.mybrainsolutions.com provides a series of interactive brain training exercises, with more in-depth material for a monthly fee.
The “Big Four” of paid online brain fitness training are: www.cognifit.com, www.happyneuron.com, www.lumosity.com and www.positscience.com To learn more about their programs, visit youtube.com and type the name – luminosity, for example – into the search bar.You can also visit each company’s web site.
While brain training can do wonders for our brains, it’s important to remember the other factors that are essential to keeping our brains healthy and disease-free. Eating a healthy diet containing brain-friendly food, regular physical exercise and the right supplements to nourish our brains are all part of a brain-healthy lifestyle that can insure our minds are fully functional for our entire life.
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