Train Your Brain

Improve your memory, increase your IQ, and test your spatial skills with the help of these 10 fun brain games and exercises.

by Jennifer L. DeLeo

f you're blessed with a memory like an elephant, we congratulate you. However, if you—like me—have a memory like a sieve, you know too well how easy it is to forget where you last left the car keys or if you mailed your mortgage payment.

We'd all love to have a memory like that of 50-year-old Dominic O'Brien, who can remember the order of 54 randomly shuffled decks of playing cards (that's 2,808 cards total). The good news is that we're all capable of improving our memories—maybe not 2,808 cards worth, but every little bit helps. How you go about retraining your brain—whether it's driving a different way to work, reading books you wouldn't normally read, doing crosswords, or starting yoga—is what helps to stimulate and exercise the brain on a day-to-day basis.

According to research and advisory firm SharpBrains, the U.S. revenue from brain stimulation products—such as online Flash puzzles and Nintendo's popular Brain Age—rose from $100 million in 2005 to $225 million in 2007. Among the various brain-training resources available today, there are 10 in particular that we think you should check out. Set aside at least 15 minutes a day and try out these great brain exercises and games that will improve your memory, increase your IQ, and test your spatial skills.

Here are a couple of resources featured in today's The 10 Ultimate Brain-Training Resources slideshow:

Fit Brains
To keep your brain actively fit, visit Fit Brains daily. This site features ten games designed to exercise your visual and spatial skills, memory and concentration, language, and executive functions. Currently in beta, all games are free as long as you sign up to become a member. I have a horrible memory most of the time, so I immediately started playing Crime Scene Shuffle, in which you use your memory skills to convict criminals by collecting clues at the crime scene. It's very CSI! I've always been a math geek, so I also enjoy playing Sum Snap. You can also read up on the science and technology behind the mind on Fit Brains's blog.

CogniFit MindFit Software
The unique software program MindFit from CogniFit determines how much memory you have left (yes, the results can be very depressing), then helps amp up your memory by designing an individual training program for you. According to the company, the program will help improve brain functioning by more than 18 percent. Consisting of fun algorithms to solve, the program requires you to use it 15 to 20 minutes three times per week. Some of the games include Tip of the Tongue, to test your naming skills, and Picasso, in which you're presented with geometric shapes to solve a puzzle. Download MindFit for $139 or purchase it as a boxed copy for $149.

Now check out the rest of The 10 Ultimate Brain-Training Resources slideshow, including Smart-Kit, Kaplan's futureU, Happy Neuron, Games for the Brain, Brain Age 2, Lumosity, Brain Arena, and Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com