Brain Builders Keep You Sharp

Brain builders help keep your mental abilities strong in much the same way as physical exercise keeps your body strong.

Following this important part of the 'use it or lose it' philosophy helps insure that you will be able to enjoy the second half of life to the fullest.

Proof of the Importance of Exercising Your Brain

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored a large controlled study of how training seniors (65 and older) respond to mental training. The research was published in December, 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The results were very positive. After attending only 10 hour-long sessions of brain training, mental quickness, memory and reasoning all improved.

Even more impressive, five years later these improvements were still noticeable. This was particularly true for people in the training groups that had subsequent booster training sessions.

How To Take Advantage Of This Knowledge

Once you understand that the more you exercise your brain, the more you'll benefit, you still need to have some idea of exactly what types of activities bring the most benefit.

The answer to this may be that it depends on where you feel your abilities need the most strengthening.

For example, if you are having trouble remembering details such as shopping lists, you may want to focus on activities that help improve memory. Similarly, if you experience trouble focusing, mental focus exercises might be more appropriate.

Resources for Learning More

Here are some excellent resources to help you find the right kind of mental exercise for you: