What is Brain Fitness?

Brain fitness is NOT about the diagnosis or treatment of brain-related disorders. It's not just about delaying or preventing disorders, and it is not about the latest memory game or nutritional supplement.

Brain fitness is about capability and performance. Having a fit brain means that we possess the thinking abilities and emotional well-being needed to work productively, sustain meaningful relationships, and achieve our goals in life.

This definition of brain fitness has several important implications. First, it means that each of us can set our own performance targets. Just as a professional athlete might pursue a different level of physical fitness than an office worker, our brain fitness goals will naturally vary, depending on what each of us is hoping to achieve at each juncture in our lives.

This definition also means that brain fitness is about much more than just one or two narrow measures of brain function. Just as physical fitness is about more than the strength of our biceps, brain fitness is about much more than just memory. In order to pursue brain fitness, we need to consider all of the dimensions that define how we think (e.g. memory, attention, processing speed, problem solving) as well as how we feel (mood, anxiety, stress, etc.). The brain fitness movement is in its early stages, and we need to develop a much broader vocabulary to guide our discussions.

Finally, this means that brain fitness can (and must) be pursued through multiple modalities. Just as physical fitness is not achieved solely through the use of a bench press machine, a single activity (e.g. crosswords, computer-based brain exercises) cannot possibly provide a complete solution for maintaining or improving brain fitness. As with physical fitness, brain fitness is achieved through a wide range of different activities, proper nutrition, sound medical care, and many other lifestyle choices. Expert advisors such as NeoCORTA can help you to navigate through all of the scientific details and compare all of your options, but a comprehensive approach is clearly the best bet for achieving brain fitness.