Surprising Health Benefits of Puzzles

Surprising Health Benefits of Puzzles

Puzzles are more than something to occupy your time. They have many surprising health benefits you may not know about. Keep reading to learn more!

Surprising Health Benefits of Puzzles

Puzzles are more than just fun — they’re also good for your brain! Puzzles have a number of other unexpected benefits for your health and can help you stay mentally fit, improve your memory, and more. They can be as simple as a Rubik's Cube or as complex as a 3-D puzzle. Regardless of the type, puzzles are a great way to relieve stress and improve concentration. 
So, if you want to put your brain to the test—and make it stronger in the process —here are some of the surprising health benefits that come with the best jigsaw puzzles!

 

Puzzles Relieve Stress

Putting together a jigsaw puzzle, whether complex or simple, requires you to focus on a single, creative task and challenge your brain. The process of solving a puzzle—from sorting through the pieces and grouping together similar colours or shapes— will require full focus and attention. For that reason, puzzles can offer both meditative and satisfying experiences.

 

Improve Your Memory and Focus

Solving a puzzle demands you pay close attention to details. You need to train your brain to look at the pieces and imagine where they will fit in a completed scene. As you inspect pieces for differences in shape or colour, you work out areas of your brain dedicated to short-term memory and focus. 
The problem-solving skills and attention to small details you hone when doing puzzles might also help you in other areas of your life. 

 

Develop Visual-Spatial Reasoning Skills

Visual-spatial reasoning skills help you to view and interpret visual input and organize that information to understand the world. These are skills we use when we drive, pack luggage or boxes, read a map, solve math problems, and estimate distances. It is often referred to as the brain’s first language
Jigsaw puzzles challenge your visual-spatial reasoning skills by presenting you with numerous irregular shapes that make up a scene, making them an excellent way to improve your cognitive skills.

 

Aids in Dopamine Production

Working on a puzzle involves points of frustration and bursts of clarity. Those “eureka” moments are exciting and relate to your brain’s reward system. Moments of clarity when you know exactly what to do are exciting. This is because your brain produces dopamine, a chemical in the brain that causes a pleasurable sensation. 

 

Improve Your Mental and Physical Health with Puzzles

Puzzles have long been a popular pastime among children and adults alike. They can be used as a form of entertainment, education and stress relief.
The best jigsaw puzzles can help to improve your memory and visual-spatial reasoning skills, memory and focus, increase productivity and aid in dopamine production. They also stimulate your brain and keep it healthy as you age.
If you are looking for fun puzzles to try out, check out PM Hobbycraft’s massive puzzles Calgary selection here! Visit our store today to learn more about our products!