How group activities can revitalise your brain

If you’ve recently joined a Probus Club and gotten together with others for a simple game of Scrabble, a group jigsaw or another puzzle game, you may have just taken the first step in increasing your memory and reducing your risk of Alzheimers.

There are plenty of well documented health reasons for enjoying any sort of group activity, including these great benefits.

They can help keep your mind sharp and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimers

This is one of the most-discussed reasons for doing puzzles and playing table games like Scrabble. According to the Alzheimer’s Association , a daily dose of puzzles is a significant way to keep the brain active and sharp, especially as you grow older.

Group activities trigger bonding

Anything performed in a group can strengthen social bonds. It brings people together in stimulating their minds, and triggers increased brain activity improving things like memory and cognitive function. Socialising also helps improve your mental health, which can, in turn, improve your physical health.

Learning new words

This is a great way to increase your vocabulary. Through crosswords and Scrabble, you are learning new words constantly. If you don’t know the meaning of a new word, you can always check the dictionary and add it to your vocabulary.

They engage you deeply

When you’re solving crossword puzzles, you tend to dig deeper into the problem at hand. This can be a good distraction from niggly worries of your own and is a great way to relax!

They offer a fun way to overcome boredom

If you are lonely, depressed, anxious, or bored, just open your newspaper and solve a crossword puzzle. This will help you to relax, keep your mind engaged, and just have fun! Even better, get along to your local Probus Club and find a few others who want to challenge themselves (and you) with a boardgame or a puzzle. Your brain and health will thank you for it!