For a healthy memory, work up a mental sweat!

- Tue, 11 Dec 2007

It's now a well-known scientific fact that as we age, we need to 'use or lose' our brains. What is now emerging is how important it is that when we use it we are extending ourselves.

"You need to feel as if you are mentally sweating in order to really affect the brain, and that's regularly, not just once a month," says a new report in The Times of India.

No wonder it's often dubbed 'brain exercise' or even 'brain gym'  by mental health experts who encourage people from their mid fifties onwards to push their brain's beyond their comfort zone., in the same way that getting fit means doing what makes you puff!

Whether it is doing crossword puzzles, playing an instrument, taking up a new hobby or meeting new people, getting your brain to reach a little bit further encourages the production of fresh brain cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain which controls concentration and memory.

As researchers understand more about how our brain works,  neuroscientists like those at HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness, are able to create highly targeted activities which stimulate those areas of the brain responsible for memory. These are far more effective than sudoku or other puzzles at ensuring your brain stays in tip top health regardless of your age. In fact, recent studies have found that doing regular brain exercises can protect the brain from the onset of dementia and even Alzheimer's Disease for years to come. What to find out more? Click here to see what Headstrong's computer-based brain training program can offer you.