Did you know that almost two-thirds of adults in the United States age 65 or older suffer from memory problems? With diseases like dementia growing more common, it is important to fight memory loss as a key factor of elderly wellness.
One of the best ways to start remembering better is solving puzzles. Want to learn how puzzles help your brain functioning? Here are some of the main benefits of puzzles when fighting memory loss.
1. They Help to Reduce Stress
Doing a puzzle can greatly alleviate stress and help relax the brain. Even if you work on a challenging puzzle, your mind will still be occupied and you will not have to focus on other things that could stress you out. They can also reduce feelings of anxiety that trigger the brain to produce stress chemicals. Many memory care services have puzzles as an activity because it calms patients down.
2. They Improve Your Focus
With the advent of technology, it has become even harder for adults to focus on a singular task. Puzzles can assist you in eliminating the distractions of a cell phone or computer. An analog puzzle, like a crossword, sudoku, or word search, is best. Putting a writing instrument to paper helps form more neuron connections in the brain.
3. Maintain Connections Between Brain Cells
When you lose memory as you grow older, one of the main reasons it that your cells drop connections between one another that preserve essential cognitive function. Puzzles and other brain exercises can strengthen the connections that you have so that they will be more difficult to lose in the future. If you regularly keep these connections strong, you are less likely to lose your memory.
4. They Can Elevate Your Mood
An activity like doing a puzzle can not only help in fighting memory loss, but it can boost your mood as well. Solving a puzzle and having a satisfying experience can trigger your brain to produce more dopamine, a chemical that causes feelings of happiness and elation. When you find a word or fill in a crossword clue, you will release more dopamine and want to move forward.
5. You Can Exercise Your Entire Brain
Mentally stimulating activities like puzzles assist you in remembering better because they work your entire brain. Both the left and right sides of the brain needs to work in harmony in order for you to function best when you grow older. The right side of your brain is more logical and the left side is more creative, so together, they can work together in order to solve even the most difficult puzzles.
So Many Benefits of Puzzles
You should not have to think about what will happen if you begin to lose your memory with old age. With these benefits of puzzles, you will not have to worry about using puzzles to keep up with elderly wellness.
Want to learn more about how to keep your brain healthy? Check out our blog for all the information you will need.
