But is the old “use it or lose it” adage really true?
Do thesecognitivegames really have any sort of impact onmental functioning?
This training may be beneficial for helping people to maintain and even improve some aspects of cognition.
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But does it really work?
Researchers aren’t 100% sure.
Training improves skills on some tasks, but it’s still uncertain if those results transfer to everyday life.
So what can you do to boost your brain fitness?
What Is Cognitive Training?
Such abilities have obvious uses in daily life.
Being able to pay attention may help you focus on a class lecture or complete tasks without getting distracted.
Effectiveness of Cognitive Training
Researchers have been studying the impact of brain training for decades.
However, there continues to be surprisingly little consensus on the effectiveness of cognitive training.
Do Skills Transfer to the Real World?
There is some research that supports the use of brain training and its transferability to daily life and functioning.
The potential for such lasting benefits could help older adults maintain their mental abilities and independence as they age.
It’s not just aging brains that stand to benefit from cognitive training.
There may be a few factors at work.
Should You Try Brain Training?
If you are interested in using brain training, there are a few different things you could do.
Such activities can often be found online or by using mobile apps.
A 2016 study compared the effects of the brain-training tool Lumosity to regular video games.
Finding ways to challenge your brain may help you feel sharper now and protect your brain as you age.
Activities that can improve your brain health include gettingregular exercise, beingsocially active, andmeditating.
It may sharpen your skills and help you retain more information, but you shouldn’t expect miraculous improvements.
Such skills may or may not translate to the real world.
These include staying physically active,managing your stress, getting plenty of sleep, and maintaining social connections.
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