Alzheimers and Dementia Prevention Through Brain Exercise

When I was younger, I participated in certain activities in order to become a smarter, better, and quicker thinker. Now that I am older, I make it a point to stimulate and maintain a healthy brain by challenging myself with different types of games. Research is showing that keeping your brain healthy and active, is one way to prevent or delay the onset of alzheimers and dementia. I find these activities to be engaging, enjoyable, and great stress-relievers as well.

According to Mark Stibich, Ph.D. (About.com), "Brain fitness programs and games are a wonderful way to tease and challenge your brain. Suduko, crosswords and electronic games can all improve your brain's speed and memory. These games rely on logic, word skills, math and more. These games are also fun. You'll benefit more by doing these games a little bit every day -- spend 15 minutes or so, not hours."

I really love Sudoku; I'm addicted to this problem-solving game. It may look simple, but it is not. The task is to complete a 9x9 grid with the numbers 1 through 9 without repeating the same number in any row or column. These puzzles are usually categorized in 3 levels: easy, medium, and hard. I recommend starting with the easy level and working your way up. After completing hundreds at each level, I now have insite that I did not possess before. Initially it will seem as though there is no other way to solve each puzzle, but keep pushing yourself to find new ways to solve them, and you will. A light comes on with each level and you can feel your brain growing stronger.

Try these online at the website below. Be sure to click on the options button to select exactly how you want to play. I like to see the timer while I'm solving, so that I can work to beat my previous time. You can also set this game to show you when you've made a mistake, which is great for beginners.

These puzzles are for the true problem solver. The goal is to solve a mystery. For example, there may be 3 people, Sally, Jim, and Tom, who each own a pet bird, dog, or cat, and they each live in a house, apartment, or condominium. Indirect clues are given to help you figure out which person owns which pet, and where each one resides. There is a genuine feeling of accomplishment when you solve a logic grid puzzle. You have to use the process of elimination to get closer to the final answers. It's a step-by-step process and it is often necessary to reread for clues you might have missed the first time around.

There are websites that have these fantastic puzzles, but I prefer to have a good puzzle book in my hand so that I can work on each one over a period of days. There is something satisfying that writing on the actual paper delivers. If you've never done one of these, try the website below for a taste.

Tangrams are a fun and fast way to boost your brain power. There are 7 pieces in this puzzle used to create various shapes. An outline of the shape is given, and the challenge is to make all 7 pieces completely cover the shape, staying inside the line of the shape. I especially like the idea of doing one a day with the calendar pictured here. This is a great item to keep at work; make it your goal to complete one a day. I enjoy being able to manipulate the pieces with my hands and solve each puzzle at my leisure. Just when they seem unsolveable, the answer becomes apparent.

Try the online interactive tangram site below. Simply click the right mouse key to rotate each piece into the position you want it.

This article is about how challenging games can keep your brain healthy, but there are several other things you should do as well. Eating brain-healthy foods, exercising, and participating in activities that make us happy are just a few. I found the sites below to be very informative and helpful, giving me more ideas to keep my brain healthy for as long as I possibly can, being proactive in the prevention of diseases like alzheimers and dementia.