Mind360 Blog

Get this: Mind360’s beta brain training website was launched only a couple of weeks ago and already the feedback has been very telling. Very! And in a good way. True, there have been reports of a few bugs to work out. But who doesn’t have a few bugs to work out?

What’s been most surprising, however, and pleasantly so, is the repeated use by feedback senders of the word ‘addictive’ - and its various forms including ‘addicitive.’ Below are just some of these real-life comments submitted by real-life people:

“love the brick breaking game. it is so addictive.”

“addictive games, but is it a compliment ?” [We’d say it is.]

“This is the most addicting game I’ve ever played.”

“Nice one!! Addicitive…..”

“Completely addicted!”

Need we say more?

Well, yes. You see, Mind360’s games were intentionally designed to be played on a regular daily basis, and for only a mere 10-minutes-a-day. Believe it or not, that’s all it takes to actually feel your brain taking shape, as plenty of other brain training game providers will also attest to.

Life in the Fast Thinking Lane

Of course there’s absolutely no harm in playing to your heart’s - or mind’s - content. But just in case there are any serial suers out there, you’ll understand our need to publish this disclaimer:

WARNING:
Playing brain games for too long can be hazardous to your social life.

Brain Training Free-for-All

Go ahead and treat yourself to Mind360’s online brain training games now, while they’re still free. Already this beta site features six cutting-edge games developed by cognitive scientists. Oh and relax; if you’re going get addicted to something, anything… it might as well be for a good cause, like you, for instance.

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com - a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.

Why fight back when you can play back? Indeed, with Alzheimer’s disease making the news headlines more frequently (a no-brainer considering this terrible disease is claiming so many victims), increasingly more organizations are coming up with new ways to supposedly combat memory-loss problems.

Which methods actually help slow down or prevent the onset of memory loss is widely contested, unsurprisingly, though time will certainly tell which ones do indeed have any positive effects.

New Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Every 70 Seconds

According to The Alzheimer’s Association’s latest report, “5.3 million Americans are living with [Alzheimer’s] today, which translates into a new case of Alzheimer’s every 70 seconds. And as the oldest baby boomers are due to reach age 65 over the next two years, that rate will balloon by midcentury, so that someone will develop Alzheimer’s disease every 33 seconds.”

Read the entire article:

10 Things You Should Know About Alzheimer’s Disease

Strength in Numbers

While the general public is understandably skeptical about the various memory improvement games on the market - and other remedies claiming to stave off memory loss and other cognitive abilities - the number of new science-based enterprises entering the brain improvement game, like Mind360, is certainly a reason for hope.

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com - a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.

With so many brain training game providers out there claiming to help improve your cognitive abilities, it’s hard to know which ones actually work, and if so, to what degree. But if there’s one thing most experts agree on, it is that challenging your brain to virtually any ‘workout’ is always a worthwhile exercise, and certainly can’t hurt.

Simply put, it all comes down to “using it or losing it.” But for brain training to be truly effective, especially over the long term, each person requires a personal training program designed to meet his or her individual needs. In other words, one size does not fit all.

Brain Games vs. Brain Training Games

What’s more, once a personal training program has been selected, it is imperative that the games prescribed are not merely brain games, or teasers, as the overwhelming majority on today’s market are, but rather scientifically designed brain ‘training’ games that deliver actual results.

Moreover, just as a professional athlete focuses on training particular physical skills and muscles individually, (i.e. a tennis player’s serve, forehand and backhand strokes, running etc.), another key to successful brain training requires focusing on a single cognitive area at a time, and within certain time limits.

Staying in Touch Requires Staying in Touch

Whether it’s training your memory, attention, executive functions, or other key cognitive abilities, new evidence is surfacing virtually everyday with respect to what works… and what doesn’t. Stay tuned to Mind360.com as we provide further ‘How to’ information on ways to effectively train your brain and improve your overall mental fitness for healthier day-to-day living.

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com - a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.

The question on increasingly more people’s minds is: Do brain training games actually work?

According to a group of leading scientists recently organized by consumer watchdog Which? [the company name actually includes the '?'], Nintendo’s massively popular Brain Training game is “useless at helping players improve their memories.”

“If people enjoy using these games, then they should continue to do so – that’s a no-brainer,” says Which? editor Martyn Hocking. “But if people are under the illusion that these devices are scientifically proven to keep their minds in shape, they need to think again.”

There are brain games, and then there are…

Indeed the jury is still out regarding a number of claims made by regular brain game developers. But as more innovators like Mind360 attempt to meet the rapidly growing demand for brain games that actually train your cognitive skills, such as memory and executive functions, just to name a few, what’s important to keep in mind is that, at the end of the day, users will have the final say as to which games work and which are merely fun to play. 
 
 

If you’ve managed to read this far, congratulations! Your attention span is normal. The question, however, is just how long an attention span can you maintain? Ready to be put to the test? Let’s see if you can read through this three minute post without drifting off.

Attention span is defined as the amount of time an individual manages to concentrate on a specific task before becoming distracted, like reading a newspaper for instance. You can bet publishers are keen on doing everything in their power to improve their readers’ abilities to remain focused for as long as possible, even if it means offering them something valuable for free like an effective brain training game. Sound unorthodox?

Attention all readers

The Jerusalem Post online newspaper has done just that by having selected Mind360’s new “SwitchBall” as their first choice for their online edition’s new Brain Games special feature. Though Mind360’s website hasn’t even been officially launched yet (be among the first to know), Jerusalem Post readers are free to help themselves to better mental health through an exclusive sneak preview to SwitchBall. This cutting-edge brain training game is not only fun to play, it also works. Indeed you’ll feel your attention span improving in no time, and for longer times.

Still with us? Good for you. You’re almost there.

How SwitchBall works… your brain

SwitchBall is a scientific concentration game designed to help boost your attention span and visual awareness. Picture this; a basketball is tossed to one of three basketball players on your screen. The ball catcher then immediately conceals the ball behind his back followed by the three players quickly shifting positions. Your goal is to keep your attention on the player with the ball and identify him when prompted to do so. The subsequent levels of difficulty feature football, baseball and hockey players and again your goal is to stay focused and keep your attention on the player with the ball (or puck), only the players are even shiftier with each new level.

With the help of a personal trainer, SwitchBall promises plenty of instructive (and often amusing) feedback to help you expand your attention span and visual awareness as you play. You’ll also find your memory and other cognitive skills getting into shape as well.

Teamwork is evidently the name of the game at The Jerusalem Post with their free offer for readers to enjoy as much free SwitchBall as they wish, while enhancing their attention and other cognitive skills for overall better mental health.

Paying attention has never been this much fun

Of course brain training games in general - and concentration games in particular - aren’t just for seniors anymore. In fact, baby boomers are fast getting into the brain training groove as they too confront the challenges of maintaining their mental fitness. Our attention spans vary, naturally, on how much we’re interested in whatever it is we’re focused on at the time. Think Angelina Jolie or hubby Brad Pitt, for example. Ahh, now we really have your attention. Too bad we’re at the end of this post.

Hurray! You maintained your attention till the end.

We never doubted you.

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com – a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift progress.

This Valentine’s Day, why not turn your lover on to Speed Dating? No, we’re not suggesting you set your partner wild and free to frolic among the swinging singles scene. That would be stupid, cupid. We’re talking about Mind360’s new brain training game designed to help you improve your spatial and visual memory.

Valentines Galore

How Speed Dating works your mind is simple. You’re the matchmaker and your mission is to accurately match as many speed daters as you can. By rotating the different hair colored daters, whenever you’ve got a match, you simple click and presto, you’ve created a match made in Valentine’s Day heaven.

Be My Speed Dating Valentine

As you advance with every successful round, you improve your attention, memory and spatial visual perception. There are also plenty of laughs in store, such as butterflies crashing the party and other tricks designed to throw you off. But what’s really valuable - and often amusing - is the feedback Speed Dating provides you with at every turn to help guide your progress. This beloved brain training game is simply smart and fun!

The Valentine’s Gift That Keeps Giving

So this year, instead of sending those traditional Valentines Day gifts like cards (save the trees), chocolates (fattening and sweet), or flowers (they die), be a saint and give the gift of healthier, happier living: Speed Dating. Oh and did we mention it’s free? (Somebody here can use more memory training.)

And while you’re at it, why not be your own Valentine and love yourself that much more by improving your own spatial and visual perception skills with the help of Speed Dating. Go ahead and play to your heart (and mind’s) content. You’ll not only be showing yourself a good time, but you’re sure to feel better about yourself the next day as well, and every day after that for the rest of your new and improved life.

Wishing you a Happy & Healthier Valentines Day!

Your Mind360 team

 
 
Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com – a leading scientific brain training games developer for improving your Memory, Attention, Executive Functions, Reasoning, and other vital cognitive skills. Your personal trainer also provides constant feedback to help you progress quickly.

All grown up and slipping mentally? Fear not. Help is, well, already here.

As more so-called “brain fitness programs” hit this expanding market, both online and off, additional forms of cognitive training programs and various brain exercises are fast taking shape. Of the more reputable players getting into the brain health game is the American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) with their recently launched comprehensive educational program developed with senior fitness professionals in mind.

Brain Fitness for Older Adults

This unique and practical mental fitness program now enables senior physical activity professionals to promote better cognitive health throughout their senior exercise programs by adding innovative brain fitness exercises to their older clients’ current physical activities. Indeed, the times they are a-changin’.

Fitness Food for Thought

Comprehensive is the best way to describe this reader-friendly, illustrated correspondence course, as the list of mental issues covered are mind boggling to say the least. As far as aging brain fitness programs go, this latest SFA initiative appears to go even further, promising (and delivering) a generous dose of valuable information on brain exercises including:

*Brain anatomy and physiology
*Cognitive functioning
*The aging brain
*Links between physical exercise and memory
*The role of mental stimulation in cognitive health
*Social and psycho-emotional influences on cognition
*Activities for promoting senior brain fitness programs

Smart AND Sexy Brain Exercises

The course’s well thought out materials come complete with three in-depth training guides, a 90-minute DVD documentary film, plus a CD-ROM providing 25 client handouts, one for every activity plan. The 42-page “Key Points and Historical Highlights” covers a host of aging brain fitness topics including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. What’s more, students passing the program’s post-test will also earn their professional certificate as an American Senior Fitness Association Cognitive Fitness Facilitator.

According to one satisfied professional familiar with brain exercises, the course “ties together, in a scientifically supported manner, the aspects of physical and mental learning that can occur when fitness training is properly applied - both for the beginning and experienced trainer.”

Priced at $249 plus $15 S&H, the SFA’s Brain Fitness Program for Older Adults is well worth paying particular attention to.

We’re sold. 
 
 
 

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com – a leading scientific brain training games developer for improving your Memory, Attention, Executive Functions, Reasoning, and other vital cognitive skills. Your personal trainer also provides constant feedback to help you progress quickly.

Feeling sluggish even though you been conserving your energy? That’s your brain talking. We all know how important it is to get a good sleep, but new studies continue to show more and more cognitive benefits from regular sleep patterns.

Recent studies have identified sleep as essential for learning a diverse set of new complex tasks, ranging from spatial and visual memory skill acquisition to learning motor sequences.

Studies also indicate that not only is it important to get good sleep before performing a task, but it is essential to get good sleep after learning a task as well. In fact, empirical observations have demonstrated that among test groups of people learning new tasks, those who slept after learning the new task performed the task much better than those who stayed awake over the same time period before performing the task.

In effect, we need to break up our tasks with sleep.

Learning a new task, or preparing for a new task, each requires sleep afterwards. Sleep allows the brain to rest and absorb the new lessons or challenges that have been put before it.

So don’t just wait until you are tired. Nourish your brain with strategically-timed sleep, such as sleeping through the night to let a lesson sink in, or taking a quick nap after task set-ups. Incorporate well-timed sleep into your schedule for optimal brain performance when you are awake.

Reaction time

Reaction time has always been important in daily life. Today it is more than a trendy expression. Science is identifying the specific ways in which brain training can contribute to acceleration of reaction speed, which can help us with daily functioning activities such as driving.

Improve performance

Whatever our cognitive needs and whatever cognitive stage we are in, research reveals that processing speed enables us to perform the daily activities that our lives demand of us more effectively. And the higher the level at which an individual functions, the more success and fulfillment that individual experiences, no matter what age.

Lasting results for all

New research has confirmed that cognitive training of processing speed has a visible positive impact on daily activities of older adults, with reaction speed one of the key benefits. Further, the positive results of training cognitive speed were observed to have at least a two year impact and proved adaptable to all ages and education levels.

The daily grind

Think about all the challenges that come your way during the day, from your workplace to your home to your driving environment: imagine how much more fulfilling these tasks would be if you performed them at maximum efficiency.

Increase happiness

Science has verified that older adults can benefit as much as the general adult population from having their brains trained. Better results give all of us an increased sense of gratification from our individual tasks. And the satisfaction a job well done brings can make us all a whole lot happier.

Are you faster then Bush?

See how exactly fast are you with our Bush Shoe Incident brain teaser.