I just saw an article that working on your cognitive skills might make you less susceptible to dementia. There are some websites that help you, but I think some, like BrainHQ, could cost you money.
On the other hand, there is some evidence that playing card games can help protect your brain. I think cribbage could be one of them, although it’s tough to find specific studies on it.
I checked around and found a few studies about how playing games like solitaire and hearts could help keep you sharp. On the other hand, when I was a young man, I worked on a land survey crew. We played hearts over lunch hour and when it rained. I consistently lost.
But for the last several years, Sena and I have regularly played cribbage, a card game that calls for some math skills, concentration, attentiveness, and strategy.
The one problem I see with picking cribbage as one of your main sources of cognitive stimulation is that many people see it has an old person’s game. They should try playing cribbage with someone who really knows how to play.
Cribbage players tend to be older; many tend to be over 50. The American Cribbage Congress (ACC) is the major organization for cribbage and they hold lots of tournaments, both local (called grass roots clubs) and national. They always welcome new and younger players. In general, you need to be able to play a game in 15 minutes in tournaments.
We have tried to finish a cribbage game in 15 minutes, but we can’t seem to do it in less than 20 minutes. I always know when Sena wants to play. She like to use the automatic card shuffler (I like to shuffle manually) and whenever I hear the card shuffling machine (which is loud enough to hear from all over the house), I know it’s time for a game!
Go Retire Psychiatrist 