{"id":15306,"date":"2019-08-26T08:15:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T08:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brainsparks.com.au\/?p=15306"},"modified":"2019-09-04T06:34:28","modified_gmt":"2019-09-04T06:34:28","slug":"is-brain-training-effective-for-older-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brainsparks.com.au\/is-brain-training-effective-for-older-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Brain Training Effective for Older Adults?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, there has been a surge of brain-training apps available to smartphone users. Apps such as Lumosity and Elevate are being used by\u00a0tens of millions<\/a>\u00a0of people around the world in an attempt to boost their brain health.<\/p>\n

However, the actual cognitive benefits of these brain-training apps have been called into question<\/a>. Some\u00a0studies\u00a0have found that brain-training games improve the brain function of young people<\/a>, and others claim to help preserve cognitive health in seniors<\/a>. There have also been studies carried out that claim these brain-training apps provide no cognitive benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What can we take away from this? While the specific benefits of brain-training apps are yet to be confirmed, the fundamental concept of exercising your brain is just as important to cognitive health as exercising your body is to physical health.<\/p>\n

Our brains need regular workouts, particularly as we get older. After the age of 65, the risk of developing dementia doubles approximately every five years. Many forms of dementia cannot be cured; however, research has proven that keeping our brains active and healthy through mental activity, a healthy diet, and physical exercise can make a positive difference to how we age.<\/p>\n

Improving Brain Health<\/h2>\n

Stimulating the brain with activities and games when we are under the age of 65 can help to keep our mind healthy in later life. There are a number of online games and apps that can be played on a computer or smartphone; however, you don\u2019t need to use modern technology to give your brain a workout. Playing a simple board game like Chess or Scrabble, doing a matching game, or completing a jigsaw puzzle can all have significant cognitive benefits. Other puzzle-type games like word searches, Sudoku puzzles and crosswords are all mentally stimulating.<\/p>\n

If you are trying to find an activity that will stimulate your brain, look for something that will challenge your short-term memory, attention span, language, logic, reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and visual abilities. You can also simply add a brain-training workout to your everyday life, such as:<\/p>\n