Monday Fun Stuff: Cognifit

Many people either enjoy or think they ought to participate in games and activities designed to help themselves stay physically fit. It is quite easy to find an excercise program that can focus on a physical area like stretching, weight training, or aerobics that will build up one particular area you are weaker in.

It is more unusual to find an excercise program for the mind. While many people enjoy puzzle games like crosswords or logic puzzles that provide a refreshing mental workout, it is unusual to find a class on "improving your short term memory" or "dividing your attention with greater ease." This is the area in which Cognifit tries to step in and bridge the gap. This website has developed a series of activities which are designed to assess your mental fitness in at least 11 different categories: planning, shifting attention from one task to another, hand-eye coordination, short-term memory, working memory, speed of processing, visual scanning, visual perception, spatial perception, inhibition, and naming.

After completing the series of activities, Cognifit will recommend several games on its site that will help you become more capable in the areas you are weaker in. I found the activities fairly enjoyable, and look forward to trying out the games it recommended for me. Let me know what you think of the site!