Scientific studies have proven that memory function can be improved. In addition to eating well and exercising regularly, which have proven to boost overall brain activity and health, you can also exercise your brain. By routinely performing mental exercises, you can initiate the development of new synapses and nerve connections that can help improve memory and cognitive function.
What better way to work on increasing memory than on the go? If you’ve got some downtime on the train or while waiting at the doctor’s office, here are 5 great apps for your mobile device that will help you boost your memory and sharpen your brain skills.
Brain Trainer (iPhone/iPad)
This app designed by Lumos Labs is geared towards the individual. It has you enter your age, gender, and education level and then proceeds to create a daily plan that consists of 3 games intended to boost your cognitive abilities. The games focus on memory, recognition, processing speed, flexibility and simple problem solving. The app will track your progress with a Brain Performance Index (BPI) so users can see their progress. With just a few minutes a day, the developers of this app claim you can achieve improved brain and memory function.
Improve Your Memory (iPhone/iPad)
The app from Movisol has been downloaded over 600,000 times. It uses visual cues and picture sequences to help exercise your short term memory. Visual cues are a way to exercise and develop your iconic memory. Iconic memory is the visual recognition that happens almost instantaneously in the brain. By completing the exercises regularly and through constant repetition, it claims to also boost your long term memory.
iCue Memory (iPhone/iPad)
iCue Memory claims to be the only memory training tool that is endorsed by the USA Memory Championship. The app consists of 3 separate games: Speed Cards, Number Marathon, and Binary Digits. It progresses through several levels and helps you track your progress through scoring. Scoring is based on memorization time, recall time, number of memorized items, and overall accuracy. You can compete against yourself or others.
Memory Trainer (Android)
This is one of the highest rated memory apps in the Android Marketplace. Memory Trainer claims to exercise your spatial and working memory to improve concentration skills and focus. The Memory Trainer app gives you some basic information on the benefits of memory training, lets you choose a workout session, continue where you left off with a previous session and even lets you monitor your progress with the help of a graphical display. Each session can be chosen based on difficulty level and the activities are fun and engaging making it seem a lot less like work.
Brain Workout (Android)
Brain Workout is an app that has 4 games intended to sharpen your brain skills. The app lets you start by choosing the area of your brain you want to exercise and then you’ll be given a game. The app lets you track performance and measure your improvement in a graph. It also lets you can compare your scores with friends or even post your score on the global scoreboard.
In addition to improving your memory and other cognitive skills, regularly exercising your brain helps lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Whichever app you choose, be sure to regularly workout your brain so you can stay healthy and focused.
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Tonya Gardner is a career counselor and guest author at Best Master’s Programs, where she has contributed guides to top-rated online master’s degree programs.