A slew of new products by medical experts aim to help slow the normal decline in memory by promoting brain-stimulating exercises. Here’s one to try:
What it is: Brain Games, a computerized gadget with five memory games that can be played on six difficulty levels to give your brain a workout.
Who developed it: Dr. Gary Small, author of “The Longevity Bible: 8 Essential Strategies for Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Young,” collaborated on this with Radica, a Dallas-based company.
What the author told us: “It is meant to be fun and helpful for Baby Boomers who might be noticing memory changes and want to sharpen their minds with exercises that stimulate the brain.”
What we liked about it: There is almost infinite variety in Small’s visual memory games, which primarily involve looking at images and then recounting what you saw and when. Games include Sequence, Flash Card, Thinkfast, Word Hunt and Recall. There was some difficulty on even the easiest levels, and a lot of difficulty when it came to cross training, but that might just be for the computer-game-challenged. A scoring system keeps track of how much you are improving.
Where to get it: Target, Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us and other mass market retailers for about $20. Also available through amazon.com.