Brain Health Challenge: Try a Brain Teaser

Welcome back! For Day 4 of the challenge, let’s engage in a short and enjoyable activity centered around a concept known as cognitive reserve.

Extensive research indicates that individuals with more years of education, those in cognitively demanding jobs, or those who engage in mentally stimulating hobbies tend to experience a lower risk of cognitive impairment as they age.

Experts attribute this phenomenon to cognitive reserve. Essentially, the more brain power you accumulate over the years, the more you can afford to lose before facing impairment. While researchers are still debating how to measure cognitive reserve, one prevailing theory suggests that enhanced connections between different brain regions correlate with greater cognitive reserve.

To strengthen these connections, stimulating your brain is essential. Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and the founder of the telehealth platform Isaac Health, advises engaging in activities that are “challenging enough to require some effort but not so difficult that they become discouraging.”

Research shows that speaking a second language can enhance cognitive function, as can playing a musical instrument, visiting museums, and engaging in handicrafts like knitting or quilting. Reading is also a valuable mentally stimulating hobby, and joining a book club can amplify its benefits by adding a social element. Listening to a podcast or attending a lecture at a local college or community center can provide additional challenges and social interaction, according to Dr. Zaldy Tan, director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai.

A number of studies have shown that playing board games like chess can be beneficial for your brain, as can solving crossword puzzles. Other types of puzzles, such as those found in brain teaser books or from New York Times Games, may also provide cognitive advantages.

However, there’s a catch: to maximize your brain workout, the activity should not only be challenging but also novel. Dr. Linda Selwa, a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School, explains that if you play “Wordle every day, you may excel at it, but your overall cognitive growth might stagnate.”

Dr. Selwa encourages trying games that are unfamiliar to you. “The novelty seems to be what drives brain remodeling and growth,” she says.

Today, we challenge you to step outside your cognitive comfort zone. Consider checking out an online lecture or visiting a museum with your challenge partner. Alternatively, try your hand at a new game. Share your novel experience in the comments, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 5.

Welcome back! For Day 4 of the challenge, let’s engage in a short and enjoyable activity centered around a concept known as cognitive reserve.

Extensive research indicates that individuals with more years of education, those in cognitively demanding jobs, or those who engage in mentally stimulating hobbies tend to experience a lower risk of cognitive impairment as they age.

Experts attribute this phenomenon to cognitive reserve. Essentially, the more brain power you accumulate over the years, the more you can afford to lose before facing impairment. While researchers are still debating how to measure cognitive reserve, one prevailing theory suggests that enhanced connections between different brain regions correlate with greater cognitive reserve.

To strengthen these connections, stimulating your brain is essential. Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and the founder of the telehealth platform Isaac Health, advises engaging in activities that are “challenging enough to require some effort but not so difficult that they become discouraging.”

Research shows that speaking a second language can enhance cognitive function, as can playing a musical instrument, visiting museums, and engaging in handicrafts like knitting or quilting. Reading is also a valuable mentally stimulating hobby, and joining a book club can amplify its benefits by adding a social element. Listening to a podcast or attending a lecture at a local college or community center can provide additional challenges and social interaction, according to Dr. Zaldy Tan, director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai.

A number of studies have shown that playing board games like chess can be beneficial for your brain, as can solving crossword puzzles. Other types of puzzles, such as those found in brain teaser books or from New York Times Games, may also provide cognitive advantages.

However, there’s a catch: to maximize your brain workout, the activity should not only be challenging but also novel. Dr. Linda Selwa, a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School, explains that if you play “Wordle every day, you may excel at it, but your overall cognitive growth might stagnate.”

Dr. Selwa encourages trying games that are unfamiliar to you. “The novelty seems to be what drives brain remodeling and growth,” she says.

Today, we challenge you to step outside your cognitive comfort zone. Consider checking out an online lecture or visiting a museum with your challenge partner. Alternatively, try your hand at a new game. Share your novel experience in the comments, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 5.