Health Benefits of Crossword Puzzles

[:en]Since they took the U.S. by storm in 1913, enthusiasts have been touting the benefits of crossword puzzles for mental acuity and just good old-fashioned innocent entertainment. In 2006 Wordplay, Patrick Creadon’s documentary about legendary NY Times crossword puzzle editor, Will Shortz was a surprise hit, proving that crosswords are as beloved as ever. In 2007, Bill Clinton, who was featured in Wordplay, created his own Sunday Times crossword entitled Twistin’ the Oldies. If you thought crosswords were strictly dry and stuffy, fellow crossword aficionado, Jon Stewart found the romance in cruciverbalism when he proposed to his wife with a custom crossword puzzle.

There are also numerous health benefits of crossword puzzles since they keep your brain sharp and engaged. In fact, we recommend that you do at least one a week. It may even do wonders for your social life, heartthrob Chris Pine says: “One thing that I do find really sexy is a girl who’s good at crossword puzzles.” While, that’s reason enough for us to take up the hobby, here are eight more for you to consider.

1. Prevent Dementia
Puzzles in general are great for keeping your brain sharp as you age. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends picking up the crossword habit to help stave off dementia.

2. Improve Verbal Skills
Research has shown that doing daily crossword puzzles benefits your verbal skills. Even if you can’t finish one, you’ll begin to figure out what different words mean as you solve the clues you do know.

3. Practice Problem Solving
Crosswords are a fantastic way to practice problem solving. According to Tyler Hinman, 5-time winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, “It’s said that the people who are the best at these are musicians or people who are in math and science. What those fields have in common is they’re both about looking at encoded information and being able to translate it instantly into something meaningful.” 

4. Learn to See Patterns
People love to find patterns. They give our lives structure, they explain how different things are connected and they’re the basis of math and science. One of the key health benefits of crossword puzzles is that they’re a great way to exercise your pattern detecting muscle.

5. Find Your Flow
Another of the health benefits of crossword puzzles is that they allow you to lose yourself for a little while or find your flow. Spending a few minutes each day doing an activity that takes you completely out of your daily stresses is a form of meditation. Who knew crosswords were so Zen?

6. Trivia Buffs
If you’re a closet trivia buff, you’ll love crossword puzzles. They’re like trivia solitaire and you’ll be surprised at what a handy conversation starter some of those tidbits can be.

7. The Aha Moment
There’s nothing quite like that feeling you get when suddenly the answer you’ve been looking for is crystal clear. It’s the Aha moment and crossword puzzles are so addictive because they’re a series of Across and Down Aha moments. And the ultimate Aha comes when you complete the puzzle.

8. Fun
This may be the best reason to do a crossword a week. They’re no-frills, portable, inexpensive fun.

This article taken from: http://mamiverse.com/[:]