Most of us focus on our physical fitness, whether we head to the gym or take a walk around the block. Few of us focus on brain fitness, probably because we didn’t know we could exercise it. That’s right, we can exercise our brains just as we would our arms and legs, and the results are positive. If you’re still unsure of how this works, think of your brain as you would a muscle. To make it better you can’t just repeat the same monotonous exercises, rather you should do things that challenge you. Your brain is able to grow and change as a response to new challenges, so go ahead and challenge your brain!

For those who still may be skeptical, there is science behind brain training. Scientists previously believed that once you reached adulthood, your mental abilities were fixed. Well, there are plenty of studies on neuroplasticity that have proved the opposite. Have you ever heard of the game Lumosity? If not, it’s a “game” you can play on your smartphone or computer that really is more of a brain training program.

The neuroscientists behind Lumosity are determined to prove it works. A previous study of a small group of people who did Lumosity training over five weeks improved on brain performance tests compared against those who did not train. On average, those who did train improved memory scores by 10 percent and attention scores by 20 percent.

Obviously the point of brain training isn’t to increase your game scores, but to translate these improved brain functions to real-life applications. For example, having a better attention span may mean greater focus at a business meeting allowing you to grasp something you might not have before. Also, having a better memory can help improve and strengthen relationships.

Brain training is an investment of time, but it’s worth it. It’s not something you should start then abandon. It’s a small amount of time out of each day and consistency is crucial.

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