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chess- I had a teacher show a friend and I how to play in 6th grade, and loved the game,,, I was chess captain in high school - chess club, I tied a master that came to play at the school
and I love scrabble, I got addicted to facebook scrabble 4-5 years ago, and would be playing people all over the country, of over 1 million players, I was ranked in the top 10 (after two yrs)
I cant say it sharpened my mind,,because I didn't sleep much- playing into the wee hrs of the night
I think all these games that challenge the mind is very useful.. and helps to keep us sharp
Just a quibble, but aren't you using the word "logistics" there in a rare meaning, namely to mean arithmetic calculations? The primary meaning of "logistics", and the only one most people know, is "the procurement, distribution, maintenance, and replacement of materiel and personnel." So in that main or primary meaning, logistics has nothing to do with chess.
I once enrolled in an elective course in intro to logistics (not math) and dropped out soon after the first class. Logistics involves rational understanding of situations and problems and feasible approaches with detailed plan. Logistics would be applied to project management, systems, and strategy in the fields of business, engineering, military, etc. So in that sense I imagine it would seem to pertain to games of strategy, like chess, as well. That said, as a publications manager I can oversee a project from finish to end in great detail. It's in life situations and strategic games I must have a block in a nook in my brain.
I also have a poor memory and tend to forget the content of films, books, etc. (But never plays or visual art.) That works to my advantage because our public library has only a small collection of DVD films and Netflix is somewhat limited in the classic drama category. I often select one that I've already seen and it's like seeing it for the first time. The old man will say "haven't you seen that before?" and I'll say "huh?"
Walking improves memory and walking backwards enhances. Sideways has advantages. Shoot for 10,000 steps per day and there are smart phone apps to track you walking and progress.
Haha, that's a good one. If I walked backward or sideways I'd have a serious collision.
I wonder if patience has to do with a sharp brain. I'm really impatient with games and everything else in life. Soduko and crossword puzzles drive me up a wall. I want an immediate effect that I can see in my head. When I was involved in theater production as administrative director I'd sit in on rehearsals and see immediately what was missing from a stage set, how to make it dynamic, and I'd approach the artistic director with my idea and get a dour look back (shortage of imagination, lol). I want a desired effect without laboring through all the detailed work (would have been a good art director in an agency). My mother always used to say I "jump the gun" in my thinking—i.e., I was and still am a rather impatient girl, don't take one thing at a time. I cannot imagine sitting down and laboring through a puzzle. Maybe patience is the key to memory?
I have several friends who play online scrabble --words with friends is the app-- (i play on my iPhone usually--sometimes my iPad) and we keep several games going, usually 3 or 4 per person. I often work on the boards early in the morning, with my first cup of coffee, and in the evening, before I go to sleep. Really enjoy this as my friends are compeititve, have amazing vocabularies, and work a mean strategy. Relentless!
The other thing I enjoy is World of Warcraft, which I started playing with my son when he was in college. We could "meet up" in a virtual setting online and spend some time questing, on the battlefield, in a group or working on "professions" or gathering materials together. We even would go fishing together, lol. We still do this several times a month but not always easy to coordinate timing except late at night.
Video games are a great way to keep hand-eye coordination, plus there are so many details to remember in order to play the game--it is good for stimulating those little neuron connections. I highly recommend it but much of the game can feel like sheer work--reaching goals--so it would all depend on what a person considers "fun." If you like a challenge and very longterm goals, the unexpected, and constantly learning and reassessing your own performance, then it might be interesting.
Haha, that's a good one. If I walked backward or sideways I'd have a serious collision.
You might be surprised you adjust and will feel the advantages of. Try it for a few days in the house. Just be careful of pivoting with your knees. 10,000 steps is easier than you may realize even with much/most of it inside. Just forget taking the shortest distance as you walk around and learn when to slide and when to back up. It is considered good fitness work and will increase your activity level. A good app will also calculate calories burned based on weight and age etc and give you your non active burn and how activity has added to it. Many will link with other apps including those monitoring eating habits. Great for diabetics and seniors in general.
I simply went back to work ! I've retired twice and hated it both times. I saw my physical and mental states deteriorating and missed the daily interaction with other people. Even my cats were ready to kick me out of the house. So, for 40 hours a week, I get to advise people, solve their problems, and carry on stimulating conversations.
Not only do I feel better, but my mind is sharper, and my bank account is feeling much better too. I think they call that a "Win-Win" situation.
On my iPad (I LOVE that little toy!) I play daily games of KenKen (math game), solitaire, and jigsaw puzzles.
I do paper crossword puzzles -- just haven't gotten into the iPad versions. My favorite is the Sunday New York Times puzzle, but of course I get that only once a week. In between I have to make do with lesser crossword puzzles.
And I study French, although in a less organized fashion than I'd like. I'm hoping to attend a French grammar course at the local university -- seniors can audit courses there for free on a space-available basis. Studying a foreign language is wonderful for maintaining mental clarity: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/op...alexander.html
What do you do to keep your brain working as you age? Do you notice any results?
My contract work with the continuing education company ( they provide continuing education courses for health care providers, mainly nurses and clinical laboratory personnel) keeps my mind working pretty well, I'd say. The money isn't bad either.
I also like playing those online games- to me they're kind of a wind-down relaxing thing to do, one can sort of zone out and think of other things when playing those games.
I also just wanted to mention that about six months ago I started working out- with a goal to work out for 5-6 days a week for about 45 minutes. That's gotten to be a habit now, and I not only feel better, but it seems to me that I remember things better too. Maybe that's my imagination, but it's a good thing.
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I've retired twice and hated it both times. I saw my physical and mental states deteriorating and missed the daily interaction with other people. Even my cats were ready to kick me out of the house. So, for 40 hours a week, I get to advise people, solve their problems, and carry on stimulating conversations.
