Your memory, only sharper: 5 ways BrainHQ can help train your brain

You’ve probably visited websites that promote brain games such as sudoku, quizzes, and word problems. Or maybe you love daily crossword puzzles. Brain games such as these are a fun challenge. But the truth is, they don’t do that much to improve your brain.

BrainHQ offers a lot more. What you’ll find here is the equivalent of a brain-training ninja gym, designed by top scientists to actually rewire and strengthen your brain. If you stick to BrainHQ’s brain training program, you’ll start to see improvements to your memory, attention, focus, and brain speed.

That’s thanks to something called brain plasticity, or your brain’s ability to physically change as it learns new things.

“The goal is to improve the brain’s capacity to do the complicated things that really matter,” says Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. He’s a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, and chief science officer of Posit Science, the creators of BrainHQ.  

Want to know more? Check out these research-backed benefits of BrainHQ’s exercises — then get started on your program today. 

BrainHQ’s brain training may be included at no cost with your Medicare Advantage plan. Check your eligibility today.

BrainHQ benefit #1: You can improve your memory

For many of us, it’s a fact of life that as you get older, you start forgetting things more often. Maybe you get to the car and find that you’ve forgotten your keys. Or you can’t recall what your boss said during an important meeting.

But using BrainHQ can help you sharpen your memory. The program improves the speed and accuracy of information flowing through your brain, which enables the brain to make clearer memories. Examples include:

• Keeping the digits of a phone number in mind
• Recalling your new neighbor’s name
• Remembering items on a grocery list

The research: The scientists running the IMPACT study had older adults do about 40 hours of training on six BrainHQ exercises that targeted auditory processing and memory. A separate control group watched educational DVDs and took quizzes every day.

The result? The BrainHQ group experienced an average improvement in memory up to four times greater than that of the control group. That’s a big difference!

You might be eligible for no-cost brain training with BrainHQ.

Access to BrainHQ’s brain exercises may be included with your Medicare Advantage plan at no additional cost. Check your eligibility.

Check eligibility

BrainHQ benefit #2: You can improve your driving skills

Taking a few extra seconds — or even milliseconds — to react when a car stops short in front of you can be dangerous. Quick reaction times are keys to safe driving. BrainHQ training can help with that.

The research: In the ACTIVE study, older adults completed up to 10 sessions of BrainHQ exercises. Those who did brain-speed training exercises reduced at-fault car crashes by 48%.

Other studies have found that BrainHQ training helps people step on the brakes more quickly when they need to, and make fewer dangerous maneuvers while driving.

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BrainHQ benefit #3: You can improve your balance

Falls are a big deal among older adults. In fact, people 65 and older fall 36 million times each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Improving your balance can keep you steadier on your feet. That’s because BrainHQ’s brain training can help improve your visual processing and reaction time, which can help you adjust your movement quickly to keep you on your toes.

The research: One recent study found that people who completed BrainHQ brain-training exercises for 10 weeks did better on balance and walking tests than people who did no training.

Another study found that eight weeks of brain training on BrainHQ reduced fall risk in people who had fallen before by 30%.  

BrainHQ benefit #4: You can improve your attention and focus

These days, information comes at us fast. Think about how hard it can be to focus on a computer task while the TV is on, or hold your attention while reading a long book or writing a long letter. The problem only increases when your brain gets “noisier” as it ages — it’s harder for the important information from the outside world to get through that noise inside the brain.

The research: Older adults saw significant improvements in visual attention after 10 one-hour BrainHQ brain-training sessions. That’s because BrainHQ helps your brain process information quicker and more accurately — reducing noise inside the brain. The result: It’s easier to notice and focus on what’s important and ignore what isn’t.

What’s more, those same adults were still performing better even two years later. This means that brain training can have a lasting effect — and that you can be more aware of your surroundings during the day.

How about hearing, which also tends to decline with age? BrainHQ’s brain training can come to the rescue. In one study, adults with hearing loss who took part in BrainHQ brain training were better able to hear in noisy environments — an important measure of attention. And that might be a big plus the next time you’re out to dinner with talkative friends in a noisy restaurant.

BrainHQ benefit #5: You can improve your mood

Research shows that if you train your brain, it can actually make you happier. The reason? BrainHQ exercises are designed to prompt the release of several key brain chemicals, including dopamine, that help make you feel good.

The research: The ACTIVE study found that people who used BrainHQ brain training were 38% less likely to develop depressive symptoms over the next year.

Ready to get started?

With BrainHQ, you can start small and work your way up. A good goal to set? Most BrainHQ users tend to max out at about 90 minutes of brain training per week — or three sessions at 30 minutes apiece.

And we think you’ll be happy with the results. Dr. Merzenich notes that it’s not unusual for someone in their 70s to perform brain-training exercises as well as someone in their 20s over time. “We’ve seen this over and over when we look at how users progress with our brain exercises,” he says.  

And who doesn’t want to feel like they’re in their 20s again?

Looking for more ways to build a healthy brain? Try BrainHQ, a brain-training program designed by leading scientists that rewires the brain to help you think faster, focus better, and remember more. And it may be included at no cost with your Medicare Advantage plan. Check your eligibility today.

Additional sources:
Brain training and car crashes: Journal of the American Geriatric Society
BrainHQ and balance study: Health Education & Behavior
BrainHQ and tai chi study: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Brain training and visual attention: Journal of the American Medical Association
Brain training and hearing attention: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
Brain training and mood: The Journals of Gerentology