Can Sudoku improve your memory lapses?

If you don’t use your muscles and bones, they slowly degenerate. This is common knowledge, which is why many menopausal women value physical exercise at this point in their lives more than ever. The same concept can be applied to your mental capacity—if you don’t use your mind, you’ll lose it. In fact, memory lapses and fuzzy thinking are a common complaint of women hitting “the change.”

But are you destined to be forgetful forever? Not necessarily. Mental exercises can help you improve your memory, and one particularly trendy mind booster may be the answer to all your problems.

What is Sudoku?

Sudoku, contrary to what most people think upon viewing it for the first time, is not a math game. The game consists of a nine-by-nine grid divided into smaller grids consisting of three squares by three squares. It operates on a simple premise: you must ‘plug in’ a number from one to nine in each of the single boxes. However, no row of nine squares can contain the same number more than once; neither can each three-by-three grid.

How does Sudoku improve memory?

It sounds contradictory, but a nice Sudoku break is a way of stimulating your brain and giving it a rest at the same time. Instead of staring at a television or computer screen, Sudoku forces your brain to use some of the simplest yet most important abilities that it possesses—reason and logic. Think of it as free weights for your brain. The more you exercise with them, the better you function.

Tips to keep in mind for your Sudoku enjoyment

• Don’t get discouraged if you don’t finish a puzzle in the recommended time frame. Everyone’s got to start somewhere, and this is supposed to be an enjoyable game. Take your time to complete the puzzle, and your speed and memory will inevitably improve.

• Don’t stay stuck on the same puzzle for hours. Sudoku is supposed to stimulate your brain, not cause an intellectual burnout. Put it down, and return to it another day.

• Once you finish a puzzle, take a moment to enjoy a sense of accomplishment instead of rushing to the next one. Not only did you just totally kick Sudoku’s butt, but you also did something productive with your free time. That’s cause for a small celebration.

Recommendation for memory improvement during menopause

Sudoku’s a great mental exercise to improve your memory, but why stop there? Other ways to exercise your brain include crossword puzzles and word searches. To make it fun, have a family or ‘girls only’ game night with playing cards or board games like scrabble and trivial pursuit instead of watching television.