Our brain is like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to stay sharp but keeping it mentally fit doesnt have to be too tiring and unsociable. In fact, even when you are relaxing you can challenge your brain to keep it active and sharp. Lets take a look at a few of the things that everyone should be doing on a regular basis to keep your brain active and healthy.
Sudoku
The Japanese game of Sudoku is logic-based and requires players to work out combinations of number sequences in order to fill out each grid correctly. The objective of this number puzzle is to fill out a 9×9 grid with the numbers from 1-9, in order to make each row and column include one of each number from 1-9. Each of the 3×3 sub-grids that make up the entire puzzle will also need to contain digits running from 1-9. This game makes your brain work in a logical way and is unusual as it involves numbers rather than letters.
Card Games
If you prefer to play a game rather than just write things down on a piece of paper, then nothing beats a fun hand or two of cards every day. You can play anything from solo games such as solitaire to group games like bridge, and there are lots of famous card games that can be played such as Rummy and Pontoon also known as 21 or blackjack. Card games require a lot of thinking, which is why they are the perfect way to keep your brain active and what type of game you choose to play will affect which part of the brain it works. You can check out the Ladbrokes website for an insight into the benefits of playing card games in order to keep your brain active and healthy.
Word Play Games
Playing with words is a fun way to keep your brain sharp. There are all kinds of work play games available, from things like crosswords where you have to get the correct answer to go in the grid and games of Scrabble through to word searches, where you have to search a grid to find select words that can run forwards, backwards or diagonally. Playing with words is the perfect way to keep your brain sharp and you should mix it up to stop from getting bored and play an assortment of different games each day.
Keeping a Journal (Writing)
If you process words every day, you will find that your brain stays healthy and on-point for longer. In fact, journaling has been around since the 10th century and you can keep a journal as a way to do a number of different things, from taking notes of your thoughts to clarify your feelings through to helping you to resolve a problem with another person. You can also write letters to keep in touch with people and if you enjoy taking advantage of modern technology, writing an email is a great way to play with words and letters and will keep your brain a lot sharper than spending hours on Facebook.
Being able to simple tasks on a regular basis such as playing cards, filling out the daily crossword in the newspaper, writing a diary and filling out a Sudoku grid will help your brain to stay healthier for longer and the more you can think of your brain as being like a muscle that needs to be exercised, the easier it is to understand the importance of exercising it.
