The brain fitness gym has been serving the St. Louis area since 2006. Currently, it is the only organization of its kind in the United States, but you can use the gym’s self-coaching techniques anywhere in the world.

As time goes by, we may see more and more similar organizations, simply because of the growing number of seniors. We have the baby boomers to thank for that.

Those of us who have spent time doing marketing or sales have been told for the last 20 years that we needed to make plans for the boomers to turn 60. Now, many of them have, but the boom will continue for almost two more decades.

The brain fitness gym is a great service for seniors. They hold events and offer free evaluations and memory screenings, if you live in the St. Louis area. If not, you can still take advantage of their information and their exercise packages.

The “self-coach” package includes software to help you improve your memory and response time, as well as awareness and eye-hand coordination. A complete manual for self-assessment and daily life applications is also included.

There program is one of the better ones on the market, as it includes many personalized options for a price that is competitive with other software programs, such as Posit Science’s “cognitive behavioral training”.

You see the brain fitness gym designs programs with the assumption that you have already lost some of your cognitive abilities. They assume that you are suffering from memory loss, early Alzheimer’s or another problem that may accompany aging. For those of us that are simply trying to prevent this from occurring, there are other, less expensive options.

Ask yourself these questions. Are you physically active? Do you get enough essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and antioxidants on a daily basis? How’s your diet? Do you eat enough raw fruits and vegetables? The recommended daily number of servings is five.

Do you make an effort to keep in touch with friends and/or family members? Maintaining social contact is important for cognizance, memory and to fight depression.

Are you learning something new? Researchers have shown that people who do not regularly play video games have improved memory and cognitive performance when they learn a new game.

At the brain fitness gym, they include similar activities, since many seniors were not a part of the video game “boom”. But, and this is important, the effects seen in clinical research may simply be due to the “newness” of the activity or the learning that is required.

In other words, if you don’t like video games or if you already play them, the answer may simply be learning something new. Take a class or read a book. Join a discussion group or do some volunteer work.

Practically anything that keeps your mind “active” will improve the function of your “gray matter”. The brain fitness gym is an option that you may want to consider. It’s just that there may be other options. The most important thing is to find something that you can enjoy, for life.