Brain exercises for adults: do they work?

Do brain exercises work?

They make you better at the exact task you practise. There’s little evidence they sharpen the rest of your thinking.

In a six-week study run with the BBC, 11,430 adults played online brain games several times a week. They improved at every game they trained. But there was no sign of it spreading to other tasks, even very similar ones.

Think of keepy-ups. Hours of practice make you great at keepy-ups. They don’t make you a better footballer.

A big 2016 review agrees. It found very little evidence that brain training helps everyday thinking. It also said many studies had weak methods.

In healthy older adults, a Cochrane review found computer training may give a small boost right after a course of 12 weeks or more. The evidence was low quality, and the boost may be too small to notice in daily life. There was no sign it lasted a year.

So play brain games if you enjoy them. Don’t count on them to make you sharper at work.

Which brain training has the best evidence?

That one kind is speed training. It teaches you to spot details on a screen fast, and gets harder as you improve.

The US trial, called ACTIVE, followed adults aged 65 and over for 20 years. It checked their health insurance records for a dementia diagnosis.

Once the researchers allowed for other differences between the groups, that’s about a quarter lower risk of a diagnosis. It doesn’t mean training stopped dementia. The authors say it has the potential to delay the diagnosis.

Three limits matter. Speed training without boosters showed no drop. Memory and reasoning training didn’t lower risk either. And one author owns shares in the company that sells the training.

Want to try it? Pick a game that times you and gets harder as you improve. Then come back to it, like the booster group did. We don’t know if apps sold today work the same way.

Do puzzles like sudoku and crosswords help?

We found no strong trial of sudoku or crosswords on their own. Going by the BBC study, you’ll mostly get better at the puzzle itself.

What seems to matter more is how hard and how new the challenge is. In one US study, older adults learned digital photography or quilting for about 16.5 hours a week. After 3 months, their memory had improved more than groups who did easy tasks or just met up socially.

Your job counts too. A major 2024 report on dementia says thinking hard at work lowers dementia risk. And most people do it for far longer than any training course or hobby.

So if the crossword is easy now, swap in something you can’t do yet.

What are the best brain exercises for adults?

Some of the best work for your brain isn’t a brain game at all. The NHS says older adults who don’t exercise are more likely to have problems with memory or thinking.

Short on time? Try exercise snacks of a few minutes at a time.

The NHS says there is no certain way to prevent all types of dementia. But it says what’s good for your heart is also good for your brain. See foods for your brain and hearing aids and dementia.

Want to remember names and plans day to day? Try these everyday memory tricks.

When to speak to a GP

Most people forget things now and then. Memory slips can come from stress, anxiety, depression or poor sleep, which can be treated. Speak to a GP if:

• You keep having problems with your memory.
• Memory problems are affecting your day-to-day life.
• You or a relative have gradually become more forgetful or confused.
• You think you, a relative or a friend may be depressed.
• Go to A&E or call 999 if someone suddenly becomes confused. Don’t drive yourself to A&E.

Your GP will ask questions to find the cause. They may refer you to a memory specialist.

Aged 40 to 74 without heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or a past stroke? Ask your GP surgery about a free NHS Health Check. It’s offered every 5 years.