A Brain Fitness gym for the development of a more powerful mind
The Mental Conditioning Gym has been serving the St. Louis area since 2006. It is currently the only organization of its kind in the United States, but you can use the gym’s self-training techniques anywhere in the world.
As time goes on, we may see more and more similar organizations, simply because of the growing number of seniors. We have the baby boomers to thank for that.
Those of us who have spent time doing marketing or sales have been told for the last 20 years that we had to make plans for boomers to turn 60. Now, many have, but the boom will continue for nearly two more decades.
The brain fitness gym is a great service for seniors. They hold events and offer free evaluations and memory tests, if you live in the St. Louis area. If not, you can still take advantage of their information and exercise packs.
The “self-training” package includes software to help you improve your memory and response time, as well as your awareness and hand-eye coordination. A complete self-assessment manual and applications for daily life are also included.
The program is one of the best on the market, as it includes many custom options for a price that is competitive with other software programs, such as Posit Science’s “Cognitive Behavioral Training”.
You see the brain fitness gym designing programs on the assumption that you have already lost some of your cognitive abilities. They assume you suffer from memory loss, early Alzheimer’s, or another problem that can accompany aging. For those of us who are simply trying to prevent this from happening, there are other less expensive options.
Ask yourself these questions. Are you physically active? Do you get enough essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants on a daily basis? How’s your diet? Do you eat enough raw fruits and vegetables? The recommended daily number of servings is five.
Do you make an effort to keep in touch with friends and/or family? Maintaining social contact is important for cognition, memory, and fighting depression.
Are you learning something new? Researchers have shown that people who don’t play video games regularly have improved memory and cognitive performance when learning a new game.
In the brain fitness gym, they include similar activities, as many older people weren’t part of the video game boom. But, and this is important, the effects observed in clinical research may simply be due to the “novelty” of the activity or the learning that is required.
In other words, if you don’t like video games or if you already play them, the answer may simply be to learn something new. Take a class or read a book. Join a discussion group or do some volunteer work.
Virtually anything that keeps your mind “active” will improve the function of your “gray matter.” The brain fitness gym is one option you may want to consider. It’s just that there may be other options. The most important thing is to find something that you can enjoy for life.