See if you can answer this riddle:

What fun activity can you participate in while lounging in your pajamas that also relieves stress, reduces pain, delays mental decline and can make you a better surgeon?

The answer is playing games, and if you solved this riddle it is probably because you already classify as an avid game player.

The benefits linked to game playing have been confirmed in multiple studies led by credentialed researchers from a variety of medical specialties. If you think I’m pulling your leg, look below for a couple of examples:

A study led by Dr. Robert S. Wilson that was published in the February 13, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who engaged more frequently in brain-challenging activities were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease. The study also listed playing games and solving puzzles among the list of beneficial cognitive challenges.

A March 19, 2007 article on Forbes.com entitled “Gaming’s Health Benefits” includes the results from several studies that linked game playing to a variety of benefits, including pain management, fewer surgical errors, and even sharper eyesight. You can read the entire article HERE.

All of these studies linking mental health benefits to playing games means a win/win situation for you, because while participating in a fun activity you are also giving your brain a boost. Best of all is that whether you prefer brain teasers, board games, puzzles, or Pac-Man, every single type of game is linked to at least one brain benefit. Be warned, though, Boomers – six hours of PlayStation every day won’t help you to ward off dementia. It’s brain teasers such as the optical illusions and psychological games found on Boomer Yearbook that will keep your brain at its best well into your Golden Years. Now that you know where to find these games, there’s only one thing left to say: Game on!

Intrigued by the research linking game playing to brain benefits? Puzzle it over at Boomer Yearbook.