5 games to sharpen your mind
Monday, 01 August 2011, 19:50 IST   |    2 Comments
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Bangalore: Do you want to sharpen your mind? Playing mental games is one simple way to exercise your mind. Mental games activate the pre frontal cortex, responsible for your highest level cognitive functions, which includes self knowledge, memory, imagery etc. Take your pick from the below list and play it on a regular basis to get a sharp memory. Chess Chess is one of the best games to improve your mental strength. Many doctors now recommend chess because of its affects in memory. It is a game of strategy and the person with the mental edge will win more games than their opponent. One can brush up three major brain functions by playing chess. First, Foresight, which considers the consequences of an action. Second, Circumspection, which surveys the whole action- the relation of the several Pieces, and their situations. Finally, Caution, not to make a hastily or blind move. It is often believed that, apart from their 'extraordinary powers of memory', expert Chess players have phenomenal powers of calculation and planning. Reversi Reversi is played on an eight by eight square grid with different pieces that have two unique sides. The player's goal is to have a majority of their colored pieces showing at the end of the game, turning over as many of their opponent's pieces as possible. Each player places pieces at the end of lines of chips and flips them so that they display a particular color. It is a simple game to play but requires a lot of strategies to become expert. It is not only fun to play, but it helps to train concentration and strategic thinking skills. Crossword It is a word puzzle which normally takes the form of black and white squares. Crosswords are basic trainer, accessing verbal language as well as memory from many dimensions of knowledge. When you tackle a crossword, you’re taking on a mental commitment, and succeeding requires self-discipline. One little clue with a surprising solution leaves you wanting to know more about why that answer is correct. Through this you can increase your level of curiosity and thrive for knowledge. Playing Crossword can result in an enhancement of cognitive function in normal mature adults; this mental stimulation can dramatically increase the rate of Neurogenesis. It takes a while to get used to the game and how clues are presented. Sudoku Sudoku is an addictive game that relies on memory. You have to follow the trails of consequences to complete a Sudoku puzzle. A lot of planning needed for this game and it helps to improve short term memory and concentration. Sudoku exercise keeps brain cells from dying and also encourages better brain function. The puzzle is a form of mental work, as it involves filling out the remaining boxes with digits one to nine without repeating any of them. Either you may quit the game or become a complete Sudoku addict. Sudoku is one of the recommended games to keep your sharpness at its peek. Go It is a game played by two by alternately placing black and white stones on the vacant intersection of a lined grid. The objective is to control a larger part of the board than the opponent. The rules are simple and easy to learn. Playing game is easy but playing well requires a lot of study and practice. The game leads to a countless number of intriguing patterns and clever exercises. Top players participate in professional leagues, and championship matches.
Source: IANS