Keep your brain in shape with online quizzes
Friday, March 11, 2011 8:49 AM
Giving your brain a workout does not have to feel you've been running a mental marathon, with great online games providing the perfect way to keep the old grey matter in shape.
There seems to have been loads of new brain training programmes becoming available recently as more and more people have realised that flexing their mental muscles can be just as important as keeping their body in shape.
But you do not have to spend a fortune on buying these games, as the wonder of the internet is bringing many great activities that will get your mind feeling fighting fit straight into your own home.
Lots of studies have shown that doing something as simple as completing a quiz or playing online trivia games will help the brain to carry on working well long after you've decided to cancel the gym membership and hang up your leg warmers for good.
Researchers in Japan have discovered that playing games does more than just help you to remember facts and figures, as it can actually open up parts of the brain that are not often used.
Smart scientists from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute found that playing a game repeatedly helps people to develop part of their mind to work intuitively, meaning that you spend less time having to think of the right answer and can go with your gut instinct.
Plus, having fun with a little brain teaser on your coffee break can also help to stave off brain anaemia, a condition which was highlighted recently by psychologist Jane G Goldman.
She explained that not trying out new things can make your mind slow and lethargic, which could be the reason that you can't remember where you left your car keys or the name of your new neighbour.
While all this might sound like hard work this could not be further from the truth, as there are a range of amusing and exciting games available online that will help you to have so much fun that you will not even realise you are giving the brain a full workout.
A fantastic option for all those who are looking for fun mental exercises is to play the Catchphrase online game based on the classic TV show, which is taking the web by storm.
Who can forget the fun of trying to guess the well-known phrase as it was slowly revealed on the screen a block at a time before the contestants on the programme did?
Each week two players would take part in the game and buzz in with their answers, which would be made up of a famous phrase or saying.
While this sounds straightforward it was often more challenging than it seemed, with players offering a variety of responses, sometimes with hilarious results!
Well now you have the chance to give it a go for yourself and see if you can think fast on your feet to work out what it is that Mr Chips is up to before the clock runs out.
Veteran host Roy Walker even makes an appearance in this fantastic online version of the show to give it an added feeling of nostalgia, so remember to say what you see and you could find yourself scoring big points in the game.
There's also a mix of online trivia involved in this updated version of the contest, with rounds that will keep your feeling challenged ranging from showbiz to nature and sport all ready to be played, just keep your brain engaged and hopefully you won't be hearing that your answers are good, but not right.
Take the challenge today and you could have a fighting fit mind in no time, all with the help of one of the best-loved TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s.