Playing games helps to improve mental fitness and healthy aging for older adults. It's more than merely entertainment and passing the time - read below to learn more about some of the benefits of online games:
Reasons to Play More Games!
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Improve Mental Health
It may be shocking, but some online games can improve mental health. There is a sensorimotor region present in the brain's grey matter. It controls the senses and motor activities of our body. It is essential to keep the sensorimotor region active. Otherwise, many problems, such as Amnesia, or Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, can occur. Some online games like puzzles, making sentences, etc., may help to keep this region active. It increases the connectivity between those neurons, which are involved in attention and learning. Keeping the brain engaged in this way improves social support and life satisfaction.
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Social Interaction
Regardless of age, humans require frequent social interaction. However, as we age, it can be more difficult to travel or plan as many gatherings. Games can provide a fun and healthy way to get together with friends or family, and a reason to see each other more often. Even if this is not the case, many games can be played online, alone, or with others. Whether you are playing with friends, family, or random matches with other online players, games can provide a fun activity and an easy conversation topic. In this way, older adults can spend digital time with their friends and even make new ones. This can help to overcome loneliness, inactivity, isolation, and assist in healthy aging.
In fact, Big Fish Games performed a study in 2015, and found that about 25% of all gamers in the world are older adults aged 50+. Some senior gamers even organize several tournaments to connect with other older adults.
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Stress Relief
In 2011, East Carolina University discovered that playing online games can lower stress and anxiety in older adults. Online games had a positive effect on the mental fitness of older adults. It helped boost the mood of participants for both the short (30 minutes) and long term (longer than one month). It slows down the process of declination. Therefore, online video games play a significant role in stress relief.
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Improve Analytical Skills
Online gaming helps to improve analytical skills for seniors. Consider backgammon, chess, or dominoes, for example. Many games require concentration, strategy, and critical thinking for an extended period to succeed. Practicing this increases the ability to think analytically and helps seniors face the pros and cons of any situation. When someone plays these games, it helps to analyze the opponent and form effective strategies against them. Research has proven that these games help to improve the analytical skills for healthy aging.
What Are The Best Beneficial Games For Older Adults?
Many games provide all types of unique benefits. Here are a few recommended games you might enjoy:
- Crossword Puzzles - These are enjoyable and challenging brain games. By activating memory and puzzle-solving parts of the brain, they can positively affect your brain health in many ways. You can also select the difficulty level you prefer. Click here to learn tips and tricks for solving crossword puzzles!
- Word Find - These games force you to search for and identify patterns. You can play alone and take your time to complete these leisurely puzzles.
- Mahjong- This game welcomes both beginners and pro players. There are also many versions, so you can select your favorites, like classic mahjong, hex mahjong, or number mahjong.
- Sudoku - Exercising the brain with games like Sudoku will help you to train to fill in missing spots, find patterns, work through methodologies, and keep the mind active and working for you.
Let us know in the comments below - What's your favorite online game?
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