You have probably seen media reports about the emerging understanding of the benefits that mental exercise brings. Studies have shown that a routine of mental activities can increase your alertness, agility of thought and creativity. Your brain's health is an important contributor to your quality of life as you age and there appears to be a correlation between your level of mental stimulation and your risk of dementia/Alzheimer's in later life.
Brain training video games intended to help you keep your brain fit, such as Nintendo's Brain Age, which offers to train your brain in 10 minutes a day, have sold millions of copies. However you don't need to splash out for an expensive games console and software. There are plenty of free online and interactive resources to help you get the benefits of training your brain. Below is a round-up of ten of the best:
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A website dedicated to brain training with a collection of brain training games and exercises
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Lots of brain fitness resources, including exercises.
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Braingle claims to have the largest collection of brain teasers, riddles, logic problems, quizzes and mind puzzles on the internet with over 12,000 items which have been ranked by the site's users.
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Brain training exercises designed to build mental stamina and ability to organise new data.
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Train your brain by competing online against thousands of other people. Site requires free registration.
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Games and exercises to get your mind into shape.
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Quiz, memory and brain games to train your thinking.
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Flash based word games and other puzzlers.
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Some simple physical exercises which boost the brain, based on the work of Paul E. Dennison, PhD.
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Flash based Brain Gym.
