The starting point
A memory or reasoning exercise should be judged against the task you actually want to perform. Keep a concrete example outside the training exercise so you can distinguish learning the game from becoming more capable in daily life.
Memory Techniques
Consider a few useful memory techniques you can start using today:
Mnemonic Devices: Mnemonics are memory aids, such as rhymes or acronyms, that help you recall information more easily. For example, remembering “HOMES” to list the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) is a classic mnemonic device.
Memory Palaces: The memory palace technique (or “method of loci”) is a useful tool that has been used for centuries, dating back to ancient Greece. To create a memory palace, imagine a familiar place—like your home—and “place” pieces of information you want to remember in specific locations. When you need to recall the information, mentally “walk” through your palace, picking up each detail as you go. This technique works because it taps into our strong spatial memory.
Put the idea in context
Crosswords, number puzzles, and strategy games ask you to practice different skills. A crossword involves vocabulary and clues; chess involves positions and possible moves. Choose them for enjoyment or for the specific skill involved. Improvement in one game does not demonstrate a general increase in intelligence.
Choose a word puzzle if vocabulary practice is your immediate goal.
Use a strategy game to practice decisions within that game, and explain why you chose a move.
Work through a logic problem and compare your reasoning with the explanation.
Keep the claim specific
Improvement on a practiced task does not by itself establish a general increase in intelligence or prevention of cognitive decline. Check the skill that matters in daily life, and keep written support available when remembering accurately is important.