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Games Can Improve Your Memory and Stimulate Your Brain


We all know that even as seniors, physical exercise is important to maintaining healthy bodies but medical experts want us to remember that mental exercise is also essential to good brain health. Luckily there are many fun and entertaining ways to exercise our mind and include an array of games on our tablets or computers as well as ones that only need pen and paper. Games like Sudoku, mahjong, chess, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and solitaire are enjoyable and challenging ways to improve memory and stimulate the brain.

Moreover, there is good evidence that supports this claim such as the study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The research team conducted a long-term study that found seniors who did crosswords four days a week had a 47 percent lower risk of dementia than those who only did them once a week.

Also, while there is the perception that chess is only for those who are very intelligent, it turns out the skills used to play a good game of chess are ones we all should cultivate as they may make us smarter. Experts say chess encourages “concentration and focus around ‘if then’ thinking, which is useful when making decisions.” The game forces you to think a few steps ahead and that type of thinking can be especially helpful for older people who are navigating options in life and could use a little help with creative thinking.

The good news is that many of these types of games are free or cost very little and even the Internet offers lots of options. To play a game of solitaire, you only need a deck of cards but playing on your tablet offers many different varieties of games of which some may be new to you. Crossword and Sudoku books as well as jigsaw puzzles can be ordered online and are very reasonably priced for entertainment you get from them. They also make great gifts for seniors.

MorningStar Senior Living of Hillsboro offers stylish, no-maintenance apartments, a variety of onsite amenities, and a broad community of friends. Located in the popular AmberGlen neighborhood, our community is close to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and Tanasbourne Town Center as well as 25 minutes from Portland. Residents enjoy the outdoors with access to our beautiful grounds and nearby parks including Tualatin Hills Nature Park. If you are interested in retirement communities in Hillsboro, OR, please contact us for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

MorningStar takes tremendous pride in the reputation we have earned for excellence and authenticity since our inception in 2003. We believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless; and we act upon that truth daily, as we care for, inspire, and love the residents under our roof. Contact us to learn more about one of the finest retirement communities Hillsboro, OR offers.

Source: sixtyandme.com/keep-your-brain-buzzing-with-these-free-brain-games-for-seniors/

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