In addition to exercising and eating healthy foods, another way that is widely believed to hone and improve brain function is to play games or games. This game is considered to help improve memory and concentration, as well as brain health. Is that true? What are some brain-honing games or games that can be done?
Can games really help sharpen the brain?
There are many benefits that you can get from playing games. Reported from the American Psychological Association playing games, including video games, can help improve learning, health, and social skills in children.
Not only in children, this game is also called can help overcome stress and depression, reduce the possibility of antisocial, to improve relationships with partners, in adults. In fact, certain games are also believed to improve learning skills, coordinate hand and eye movements, focus, and make you fitter (especially for games involving gestures).
Nevertheless, the benefits and influence of games on the brain are still controversial to this day. A study in the journal PLoS One said games can improve executive function, memory, and information processing speed in young people’s brains.
In other studies also mentioned, activity at leisure that stimulates cognitive can reduce the risk of dementia and other cognitive disorders in the future. Not only that, people with multiple sclerosis are also said to be helped by playing games because of their ability to train coordination and balance of the body.
On the other hand, the influence of games on cognitive function of the brain is not proven. Playing one type of game on a regular basis can only improve a person’s abilities in those games, but does not affect the overall brain’s abilities.
Although it’s still controversial, it doesn’t hurt if you want to play the game considering the other benefits you can get. However, don’t make the game the only way to improve your brain’s functioning abilities. You also need to do other proven ways, such as exercising, brain gymnastics, or eating some foods to remind you of your memory.
Various games or games that can help sharpen the brain
There are various forms of games or games that you can play to help sharpen your brain. There are games that you can get conventionally, such as with paper, or by downloading them on your phone. Here are various games or brain teasers that you can try:
1. Sudoku
Sudoku is a logic-based puzzle game that relies on short-term memory. This Japanese game uses a 9×9 box in which there are already several clue numbers.
You are prompted to complete these numbers with the rule that no numbers are equal on a single row, one column, or one 3×3 section box marked with a bold line. So on until the whole box is filled.
Sudoku games called can help sharpen your brain to be sharper. In fact, in a study mentioned, adults over 50 years old who play sudoku and crossword puzzles, have better brain function. You can play sudoku using paper or it can be obtained by downloading the app on your phone.
2. Crossword Puzzles
You’re certainly familiar with this game. Crossword puzzle games (TTS) are already very often found in various newspapers, magazines, special books of TTS, or even today, you can download them for free through your mobile phone.
This classic game is called can sharpen the brain verbally as well as improve your memory or memory and knowledge. In fact, the same research with sudoku mentions, people who work on puzzle games, including TTS, have brain functions equivalent to their age when 10 years younger.
3. Lumosity
Unlike the two brain-honing games above, lumosity is a game that you can play through the website or download the app on your smartphone. The app consists of games that focus on improving the user’s memory, problem solving skills, as well as thinking.
In these games, there are different types of games in each session that challenge your brain. You’ll also need to finish the game while playing against the clock.
4. Fit brain trainer
Just like lumosity, fit brain trainer games can also be played through the app on your phone. In the fit brain trainer app, there are 10 sets of games you can play. You’ll need to complete certain tasks from each of these game categories and the app will track its progress through color-coded graphics.
With these 10 sets of games, fit brain trainer games are believed to help different parts of your brain, including the right and left brains, improve their function. This includes improving memory, concentration, coordination between hands and eyes, and problem solving.
5. Brain Fitness
This game was developed with the help of neuroscientists, so it is claimed to improve cognitive abilities, including memory and concentration, of someone who plays it. Not only that, but this game is also a lot of fun because it can be played with your friends.
You can get this game by downloading the Cognifit Brain Fitness app on your phone. In this app, you can play a variety of games that can help sharpen your brain every day, with difficulty levels tailored to user profiles.
In addition to the apps above, there are still many similar games that you can download on your smartphone screen. Playing these different types of games can fill your free time while relaxing your mind and possibly sharpening your brain.