Lumosity can train your brain

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - How many times have you forgotten where you parked, or locked misplaced your keys? 

It’s happened to the best of us.

We are used to hitting the gym to trim up our waistlines, but what about keeping our minds in top shape?  Believe it or not, the birth of new brain cells starts to slow the older we get, and your brain tissue actually shrinks. 

Brain training apps like Lumosity are designed to help…the goal is to improve your brain power with a daily mix of simple tests designed to enhance cognitive abilities including memory, processing speed, attention and problem solving.

Since it launched in 2007, Lumosity now has more than 35 games, and 20 million members, according to a statement on its website.

The exercises are based on findings in neuroscience, with continuing independent third-party studies being conducted by researchers at Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and other academic institutions.

“Research has shown that making brain fitness part of a healthy lifestyle early will lead to optimal cognitive performance and better long-term brain health,” said Michael Scanlon, chief scientist at Lumos Labs.

“We designed Lumosity to help adults of any age build their cognitive abilities without feeling like they’re doing homework. People have to be motivated to train, and we believe that the results we’re seeing stem in part from the fact that the program is enjoyable and you can see your progress.”

A visual attention exercise simultaneously displays a bird and a letter for a fraction of a second, requiring the user to identify both at the same time using peripheral vision.

In another exercise, users are asked to navigate a maze by remembering the location of hazards to increase their short-term memory.

The difficulty level of each exercise adjusts to the ability of the user. As the player progresses, the birds appear faster or there are more hazards in the maze.

Each activity includes what part of the brain is being exercised and a progress report after every session, to track improvement.

The app is a free download in the iTunes store and includes a five free session trial.  It’s $4.99 for three months of access after that.

If you don’t have an iPhone the games are also available on Lumosity.com.   And who knows, maybe after a couple of sessions, losing your keys will be a thing of the past.