Your brain fitness kit might include lots of tools, including sound and light machines, meditation, Chi machines, biofeedback, but I bet it does not yet include brain fitness software.
For all these years, about 5.5 decades, I have been putting words into my head from lots of books, and that was the brain fitness kit I was instructed to use as a kid.
I ate some fruit and vegetables and slept reasonably well, but did not ever worry about things like omega 3’s. You can get your very important Omega 3’s from fish or through supplementation.
Technology is helping us see how brain fitness regimens or tools enhance synaptogenesis, or the growth of new synapses.
What are those tools? There are many useful, new options that I have tried.
But first, I want to let you know about some of the tools I have used.
Over the years I have used the David sound and light machines, Hemi-Sync binaural beat tapes, Transcendental Meditation, daily prayer and meditation, Open Focus, EEG Biofeedback brainwave biofeedback, HeartMath heart rate variability biofeedback, and the Wild Divine heart rate variability biofeedback and galvanic skin response biofeedback, and I have studied Chi Gong for the last eight and 1/2 years.
Of those tools, I use Chi Gong and Heartmath most frequently for myself.
But now there are computerized programs, like the Posit Science Brain Fitness program, based on the research of Michael Mezernich and his team, which is designed to work with the auditory processing system in my brain. Sounds called phonemes challenge the auditory processing loop to function more coherently. (Neurons that fire together wire together). When those neurons relearn to fire closely together, then the noise in my brain is reduced, and I can function with more confidence.
Brain fitness tools leave me feeling more confident, relaxed, focused.
I am also using three other brain fitness programs in my brain fitness kit.
They are Lumosity, Brain Builder 3.0, and Mind Evolve.
Lumosity is a quick hitting online series of exercises designed to work your working memory, spatial memory, processing speed, attention, cognitive control, and name recognition. You can sign-up online, and use the tools at your convenience. As you progress, you move into more difficult challenges.
Daily practice on those tools is reassuring for the Boomer Dad.
This program emphasizes the ‘dual n back’ task and it has some excellent research to read, if you are so inclined.
What is very reasssuring for me as a consumer is to read the endorsement of other professionals like Simon Evans, Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt, Ph.D. for the dual n back task and research. Dr. Evans also reports that he likes the Lumosity program, which gives me a sense that my hunch was valid.
Any good brain fitness kit is going to include regular exercise, good sleep, and novel challenge using brain fitness programs.