A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

(518) 452-4250 | SCHEDULE A TOUR NOW

tour button

Puzzles: They’re Great For Adults, Too!

Mar 15, 2019 | Life at Ávila

Remember the jigsaw puzzles of your youth? They’re still a great way to unwind while challenging your brain. From beautiful forests to city skylines, a puzzle can transport you and keep you riveted for hours on end.

Plus, a dreamy visual isn’t the only upside to enjoying a puzzle! Read on to discover the other surprising benefits…

Better Memory
Solving a puzzle helps to reinforce the connections between your brain cells, and benefits your short-term memory. This activity can also improve your mental speed and enhance your memory overall.

Delaying Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Studies show that keeping your brain active through puzzles and problem-solving games can reduce the level of damage to brain cells that is present in Alzheimer’s patients. Additionally, playing puzzles supports the growth of new nerve cells and strengthens their connections.

Puzzles at Avila

Boost Your Problem-Solving Skills
When you’re solving a puzzle, you’re forced to take different approaches to solve a problem. Developing and retaining this skill is a great asset!

Increased IQ
Puzzles can provide improvements to our memories, and also to ability to reason overall. Research has even found that just 25 minutes of puzzle-solving per day improved IQ scores by up to four points. Amazing!

Lift Your Spirits
You’ll find yourself in a better mood when working on a puzzle. When you’re engaged in this type of activity, your body will naturally produce dopamine—a hormone responsible for making you feel happy and optimistic.

Reducing Stress
While puzzles pose a challenge to our brains, they can also really help us relax! Your brain can go into an “alpha” state (similar to a dream state) when you’re working to solve a puzzle.

Getting Social

Puzzles at Avila

A puzzle doesn’t have to be a game for just one! Ask a friend to join you and you’ll have plenty of fun. Together, you can strategize, solve and laugh your way to a beautiful end product.

Puzzle Display at Avila

Our residents have put together some really lovely puzzles for us to enjoy. You can see them in person when you schedule a tour of our campus. To stay up-to-date on our schedule of activities, you can check out our calendar here.