As we progress through adulthood, land jobs, start families and just get busier in general, it’s more important than ever to ensure we’re keeping our minds sharp.
We’ve all heard experts say that a healthy mind brings a healthy body or that a healthy body means having a healthy mind. An easy way to keep your mind sharp and active is to participate in brain teasers, logic puzzles or puzzle games. Here in 2022, it doesn’t have to feel like a chore, as there are so many genuinely fun puzzle games to help get your dose of intellectual exercise. Sudoku, Words With Friends, Scrabble; the list of games to get your brain pumping is endless.
Another way to get the brainwaves going is through card games, as they teach a wide range of skills while bringing people together at the same time. In this piece, we’ll give you three different games that only require a deck of cards to get started.
Solitaire
Solitaire is probably the simplest game on the list and is well-known for being a part of Microsoft Windows for more than 30 years. Solitaire is one of those rare card games you can play by yourself, but if you get really immersed in it can soak up your time for hours. In Solitaire, the objective is to organize a shuffled deck of cards into four piles based on the four suits. The catch is that those four piles have to be organized in ascending order, with the Ace representing the number 1. On your end, you’ll have seven more rows of cards; the first row will have one card, the second row will have two cards, and so on, until there are seven rows. In each of those seven rows, all the cards are placed face down except for the last one. This is a game guaranteed to get the cerebral cortex sparked, and the fact that one can play alone makes it the most accessible game on this list.
Poker
The popularity of poker continues to surge, with people watching on TV and online but also playing in their homes as well. Poker gives players a chance to gain and practice a multitude of skills while having an entertaining time doing such. Learning and doing mental exercises doesn’t have to be a grueling and frustrating experience; it can be a fun one that’s done with friends. One of the mental skills poker teaches you is emotional intelligence and how to manage reactions and emotions. That’s why poker is a fantastic workout for the brain as you’re examining situations and learning how to react as is necessary versus reacting immediately off a moment. Lastly, poker brings people together to socialize, sometimes, we forget that the brain and body need to socialize with others to stay healthy as well.
Blackjack
Another simple game on the list, blackjack, requires a deck of cards and a few people to play with, but the rules are easy to follow, even for newcomers. In blackjack, each user gets two cards; each card has a value, the numbered cards retain the value of their number, and the royal cards equal 10 points each. The ace is an outlier and can either be 11 points or 1 point, depending. The goal here is to reach 21 points without going over the point value. When your turn comes, you can either hold your hand or trade out one of your cards for one of the dealer’s cards that you haven’t seen yet. This is a game that teaches the brain to move quickly but also to factor in the risk and reward of your turn. All it takes is one wrong card to turn your potentially perfect hand into a losing one.
If you liked this, you’ll find plenty more to keep you and your guests entertained in our health section.
Comments are closed.