Brain Power

Although many companies advocate for the benefits of mind games, there is no conclusive research that states these games improve mental functioning. There are, however, practical, everyday steps you can build into your life to help keep your mind sharp. The article �Mind Games: Can Brain Training Keep Your Mind Young?� by Kirsten Weir reported on a 2011 study which found that continuing to practice these skills is key to maintaining cognitive improvements, just as continuing to exercise sustains gains in physical health.

Ready to exercise your mind and sharpen your mental clarity? Try these three simple steps:

1. Stop Multitasking.

In her Huffpost blog post �Do Brain Games Really Boost Brain Power?�, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman advocates for spending at least 30 minutes each day away from all technology. This gives you time to engage deeply in a task, which is more beneficial to your brain than thinking in a surface-level fashion. It also allows your mind to do one thing at a time well � rather than five things at a time, in a mediocre fashion.

2. Spend approximately 20 minutes each day doing moderate cardio exercise.

Dr. Karen Li, head of Concordia University�s laboratory for adult development and cognitive aging, told TIME magazine in the article �You Asked: Do Brain Games Really Improve Memory?�, that exercise helps your brain get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to operate at peak mental functioning. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Get out (or stay in), and get moving.

3. Slow down, synthesize and think critically.

Bond Chapman recommends pausing after reading an article to think critically about it. This allows your brain to make connections between ideas, as well as between multiple areas of the brain. To strengthen your higher-order thinking skills after reading, ask yourself questions to reflect on what you read, such as what the main themes were, how it relates to other areas of life, who would agree with the article and why, and who would laugh at it and why.

With this being said, it doesn�t hurt to do mind games like Sudoku, crossword and logic puzzles, too. Have fun!