7 applications to exercise our brain

Alzheimer's and dementia are a growing epidemic According to the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, every three seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed in the world. Today those affected number 46 million, but if a cure is not found, by 2050 the number of cases will have tripled.

Only 1% of Alzheimer's cases can be attributed to a genetic origin This means that, although there is still much to study and research into it, there are certain things we can do to make our brains he althier and ultimately more resistant to the deterioration that a disease like Alzheimer's can cause.

It is said that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. So in addition to enjoying a Mediterranean diet, doing moderate exercise and maintaining an active social life, in our hands is exercising our brain through activities such as games dinner, hobbies or reading.

Today we wanted to compile a total of seven applications that can help us, both young and old, to keep our brains active We won't be looking at apps like Lumosity (an app that, if you remember, was fined for promising brain training exercises and was ultimately a fraud).

The applications that you will find below include practical exercises, useful for keeping our minds active. Ready? Ready? Already!

1. Memory games

Let's start with a fairly complete application, if what you are looking for are a series of mental challenges to work on your memory. In Memory Games you will find an infinite number of exercises and training programs using colors, numbers or matrices Every day you will be able to do exercises and progress towards different levels of difficulty.

This is an application that can be very useful for all those who want to exercise their brain even if they are well. It may be that, in the case of the elderly who already have some type of dementia or are not used to using this type of mobile technology, they need the help of another person by their side. In this sense, it will be convenient for us to be patient and explain little by little how it works and the dynamics of the application.

If at some point it becomes too complicated, we can opt for other applications with simpler exercises, such as searching for words or identifying pictures the same, in what would be a traditional Memory. We will see some in this article.

2. Alphabet soup

Hobbies are a great resource to exercise our brain And we don't need to do very complicated activities to achieve it. Word search puzzles are a great activity, which is also very popular with older people. We can buy the typical alphabet soup booklets at the kiosk, but we can also download this application.

It's called Sopa de Letras and it includes an infinite number of panels in which to look for words To mark them on the screen, all you have to do is slide your finger for all the letters. Every time you pass a panel you will earn points and you will access slightly more complicated games.

3. Sudoku

Are you more into numbers than letters? Well, in this case, maybe you should opt for Sudoku There are countless applications dedicated to this game, but we have chosen this one, inspired by the classic Sudoku. It's easy to install and doesn't take up much space, so you can keep it as long as you want.

If you are new to solving Sudoku puzzles,don't worry, because at the beginning you will have a small tutorial with very clear instructions. You can choose between different levels (Easy, Normal, Hard and Expert), as well as participate in daily challenges. As you progress, you will be able to move up in complexity.

4. Picture Match

The game of pairs is a classic to improve memory and concentration.Picture Match is a simple game, ideal for both adults and children, with which you can practice your ability to concentrate on the drawings and discover the pairs.

To begin with, you will be able to view the images for a specified number of seconds. From there, you can play to guess where the pairs are located First you will start with a very easy level and then you will increase the difficulty until the game becomes a really tough challenge.

5. Who is who?

Do you remember the famous Who's Who? Well get ready, because now you can play on your mobile and at the same time practice your concentration skills. All you have to do is install Guess the Character!

You'll need to connect to the Internet to connect with other players and you'll be able to ask and answer questions about yourself and your opponent's character. The one who first manages to discover the mysterious face of the other, he will win.

6. Shopping list

Can an application to make a shopping list help us exercise our memory? The answer is yes. This can help us if we have a child or an elderly person at home. If we want them to exercise their memory, we can ask them to help us make the shopping list.

Listonic is a good application to try. By participating in the preparation of the shopping list, we will be involving that person in daily family life. This will make you feel better and, on the other hand, will force you to think about what is missing at home, about the products or foods that you consume daily or habitually and , logically, to verbalize the words of the semantic field of food or household items.

The application is easy to use and includes drawings that can help us identify the different elements more easily. When we get home with the purchase, we can mentally review if everything we should buy is there.

7. Crosswords

Another classic hobby: crossword puzzles A great way to make our brain work and stay connected to the language. This application, called Crosswords, includes an infinite number of crosswords at all levels. If you are passionate about these hobbies but you no longer buy paper newspapers, this application will come in handy.

You don't need to write. By clicking on each space on the board, you will obtain the definition of the word you must look for. And you will only have to order the letters so that they are placed forming the corresponding word. Everything will start out easy, but it will get more complicated as you progress through each level.