Brain Fitness Programs

Posted by noemi in Fitness & Health | 16 comments

Woe me, another senior moment struck me tonight. After a new media event at Friday’s Glorietta, I reflected on a new affiliate marketing for my blogs. I pictured myself lying on my satin bedsheets typing away on my macbook, relaxed and blissfully installing that affiliate link. Then I had this awful sinking feeling. But where is my macbook? My mind started to race. Ugh, I left it at Fridays. To make the long story short, I recovered my macbook safe and sound. Thanks to the honest waiters and staff of T.G.I Fridays. Remember my Green Thumb address? I really need to nurture my brain health before I start to lose my car or better yet, lose my mind.

I am sure I am not alone.

Did you know that the human brain starts slowing down as early as age 30? The good news is that you can speed it up, and improve even your most basic cognitive abilities at any age.

Physical Exercise, Good Nutrition, Stress Management and Brain [tag]Fitness[/tag]/Exercise are all four critical pillars for Brain Health. I actually practice the first three, but the 4th one, Brain Fitness/Exercise, is often misunderstood or overlooked. Just as research has demonstrated how important physical exercise is to aging well, experts now say there are things we can do to reduce our risk of mental decline, or even reverse it. It’s called the mental workout, and as baby boomers search for more ways to enjoy their longevity, interest in it is beginning to explode. As I surfed around for Brain Fitness Exercise, I discovered Luminosity Brain Games which are quite similar to some DOS games I used to play and Posit Science’s Brain Fitness Program. . Is it really worth it to enroll in their Brain Games? Which brain fitness program works best?

I went through the checklist on how to navigate through the growing number of brain fitness programs but it got me more confused.

Is it better to just buy the Nintendo Wii since they also have memory games and other coordination games?

Maybe I should start playing those old DOS memory games I used to play with my daughters way back when they were kids. Or better yet, revive my addiction to Scrabble Word Game.

Not everyone, however, is convinced that computer programs are the way to go.

“I don’t think that they have proved that they stop Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Robert Butler, CEO of the International Longevity Center-USA, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan research, policy and education organization that helps communities address the issue of aging. “You could save some money by having a nice book club or learning a new language. There may be a benefit but I’m not sure you have to buy a computer game to keep up your brain health.”

Whatever method I choose to give my mind a workout, Butler says the earlier you start, the better.

“We should be exercising our minds and our bodies,” he says. “We’d all be a lot healthier if we did.”

What do you do to exercise your brain?