Physical fitness. Cognitive/ brain fitness. Both require novelty, variety and challenge. Professor Schlomo Breznitz, a scientific and business leader in the cognitive fitness field, explains why, eloquently, below. Perhaps “we want change” really means “we need change”. Enjoy!

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Why are everyday life challenges not sufficient to keep our brains fit?

– By Prof. Shlomo Breznitz

Often, when describing the benefits of MindFit to brain health, I am asked by people in the audience whether this software is really needed. After all, so they argue, life provides continues cognitive challenges, which should suffice for ensuring brain fitness. From the moment we wake up until we go to sleep our brains have to attend to complex stimuli, plan many activities, some of them quite complex, and carry us through whatever the day offers. These tasks should provide sufficient “brain exercise” without the need to engage in specific mental workout.

This line of argument sounds oddly familiar, since it is an exact duplication of claims made in the recent past against the need for physical exercise. One jumps into the car and from the car and perhaps even climbs a few stairs before sitting in the chair, which should be enough to burn the calories and keep fit.

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This is a very fun link to a series of 20 timed puzzles put together by the BBC. It should take you about 10 minutes or less to complete.

The Senses Challenge

You also might enjoy their Interactive Brain which allows you to explore both the structure and function of your brain. The functions will help you learn what areas of your brain you are exercising when you do or feel certain things.

They map out for you: anger, consciousness, disgust, happiness, language understanding, movement, self awareness, smell, taste, touch, breathing, coordination, fight or flight, hearing, long-term episodic memory, sadness, self control, speech production, thirst and hunger, and vision.

Enjoy!