Can you train your brain?
Yes, but not the way the ads promise. Brain-training games make you better at the game itself, but the effect rarely carries over to everyday life. What actually keeps your brain active is learning new things, moving your body, sleeping well and spending time with other people.
Plenty of games and apps promise a sharper brain. Here's what the research actually shows.
What brain-training games can and can't do
The most thorough review of the research on brain training, written by a large group of scientists and published by the Stanford Center on Longevity, reached three conclusions. You get better at the tasks you practice. You get a little better at tasks that are very similar. But there's only weak evidence that the benefit carries over to everyday life, like remembering appointments, finding the right word or keeping track of things.
The US National Institute on Aging puts it more briefly: there isn't enough evidence that commercial brain-training apps have the same effect as the training researchers have studied. Buy them if you enjoy them. Just don't buy them as a treatment.
What does work
The large Finnish FINGER study followed more than 1,200 older adults for two years. Half of them got a combination of healthy eating, exercise, brain training and checks on their blood pressure and cholesterol. That group did measurably better on tests of memory and thinking than the comparison group. The effect was modest but real, and the study has become a model for dementia prevention research around the world.
The lesson from FINGER is that the combination works: body, brain and social life, all at once, rather than any one thing on its own.
What you can do
- Learn something new instead of repeating what you already know. A study described by the National Institute on Aging found that older adults who learned quilting or digital photography improved their memory more than those who only met up socially. The new, slightly difficult part is what gives your brain a workout.
- Move your body. Physical activity is one of the best-documented ways to support a healthy brain. Read more in our article on how much exercise you need.
- Keep talking. Spending time with people and having conversations works your memory, language and attention all at once.
- Don't write off crosswords. They keep your vocabulary and general knowledge in use, and they can be a pleasure in themselves. Just don't expect them to prevent anything on their own.
An AI assistant can also be an easy way to keep your curiosity going: you can ask questions, learn about things and pick up something new. It's no miracle cure, but it's there whenever you want to learn something.
This is general information, not medical advice. Every situation is different, so talk to a doctor about yours.