Top brain games to keep your mind sharp as you age

While frequent forgetfulness or severe memory loss can be indicative of Alzheimer’s disease, occasional forgetfulness is a common aspect of ageing. And although forgetting the odd thing here and there may not be entirely preventable, there are ways to slow down the process.

Similar to physical health, maintaining mental agility is crucial at every stage of life. Engaging in brain games and puzzles serves as mental exercise that may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Brain training apps have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a convenient and accessible way for seniors to exercise their brains and improve mental agility. These apps often feature a variety of games and exercises designed to challenge different cognitive skills such as memory, attention, and problem-solving.

With that in mind, here are the top brain games that can help keep your brain active and healthy after 60.

Classic games

Bingo

Bingo is a popular game that is enjoyed by many people around the world and is especially popular for those over 60. While playing bingo is not a physical activity, it has been suggested that there are a number of health benefits associated with playing the game.

Health benefits of bingo can include:

• Mental stimulation: Playing bingo requires mental focus and concentration, which can help keep the brain active and improve cognitive function.
• Social interaction: Bingo is often played in a group setting, which can provide an opportunity for social interaction and help combat loneliness and isolation.
• Improved hand-eye coordination: Playing bingo can help improve hand-eye coordination, which can be beneficial for older adults.
• Improved memory: Playing bingo requires players to remember numbers and patterns, which can help improve memory skills.

Chess

Chess is another popular game that has been played for centuries. While the game itself may seem complicated at first, once you get the hang of it, chess can bring endless hours of fun. Not only that, it has the added benefits of strengthening your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and mental agility.

The plus side of playing a classic game of chess: 

• Boosts brain development: Chess is a complex game that requires players to think several moves ahead. This can help stimulate brain development and improve neural connections in the brain.
• Enhances strategic thinking: Chess is also a strategic game that requires players to think critically. Playing chess regularly can help enhance strategic thinking skills, which can be beneficial in everyday life.

Wordsearch

Whether you are doing it to improve your cognitive function or to enjoy the mental challenge, Wordsearch games can be a great way to keep your brain active and healthy. Wordsearch and other word puzzles require mental effort and problem-solving skills, which can help improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and processing speed.

Other perks of keeping your brain buzzing with word puzzles:

• Enhances vocabulary: Word searches can help improve vocabulary by introducing new words and reinforcing the meaning of familiar words.
• Can be completed anywhere: Word searches can often be completed anywhere, making them a convenient way to exercise the brain on the go.

Mobile apps

Duolingo

Though Duolingo is specifically designed as a language-learning app, learning a new language is an excellent way to exercise your brain and improve cognitive function. It requires mental effort, concentration, and memory skills, which can provide several benefits for the brain

Key features

• You can learn over 35 different languages
• Offers bite-sized lessons with loads of fun interactive activities to keep you engaged while you learn
• Easy to follow progress tracker and caters to your individual skill level, learning style, and pace.

Left vs. Right: Brain Games

Per the app’s developer, Left vs. Right: Brain Game “can keep your mind sharp and help prepare you for a day full of challenges and new problems to solve!” All their brain games are designed to help improve your memory, concentration, observation and critical thinking skills.

Key features:

• Offers over 50 games in 6 different categories to test and train your brain
• Has colourblind mode

Peak

Peak is another mobile app designed for cognitive remediation through the use of short interactive games. The games offered in the app have been designed in collaboration with scientists from esteemed institutions such as Cambridge to ensure their training programs target and challenge specific skills such as memory and attention.

Key features:

• Has over 40 games ranging in difficulty and duration
• The app has a “personal trainer for your brain” which helps choose the best games for your needs

Brain training websites

CogniFit: Brain Training

CogniFit is a website designed by neuroscientists that offer “scientifically validated tasks to precisely measure and train cognitive skills”. The website aims to not only stimulate but also potentially rehabilitate specific brain functions, making it one of the more beneficial brain training sites for seniors.

CogniFit also offers users the option to select customised programs that cater to specific needs, such as coordination, driving, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, depression, and insomnia, and even includes games tailored for those aged 55 and over.

BrainHQ

BrainHQ is another website created by a team of neuroscientists. Back by 30 years of research, BrainHQ offers various levels of activity that aim to enhance cognitive speed, memory, attention, and social skills. These exercises utilise an algorithm that monitors your progress and adjusts the difficulty level accordingly, providing optimal benefits that cater to your individual needs.

Brain training games can be an effective and enjoyable way for seniors to maintain and improve their cognitive abilities.

Whether you’re looking to boost memory, sharpen problem-solving skills, or simply have fun while keeping your mind active, there’s a brain training game out there for you.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.