How to train your brain.

As we age, it’s absolutely normal for our brain function to decline. Technology, food, retirement, stress, health disorders, medications, sleep deprivation, drug consumption, economic distress, and lack of exercise, all have negative effects that can cause brain function to decline more rapidly.

This can lead to problems with memory, focus, and concentration. But saying that, it does not mean we cannot strengthen or enhance brain function and cognition. Starting to live a more active and healthy lifestyle, sleeping more, eating a more healthy, varied and balanced diet, playing brain teasers, riddles, and games, solving puzzles, and doing fun mental exercises helps maintain and even boost cognitive performance, focus, and memory.

Brainteasers, brain training exercises and games

• gbrainy is a brain teaser game and trainer to have fun and to keep your brain trained. It provides logic puzzles, mental calculation, memory trainers, and verbal analogies. It is available for Windows and GNU/Linux.
• Brain Workshop is a free open-source version of the dual n-back brain training exercise. It starts at n-back = 2, you have to press the MATCH button where the object’s location is the same as it was two moves earlier. It is available for Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux.  
• Freemium Apps: Lumosity helps you to improve your memory, increase focus, and feel sharper (web, Android, and iOS). If you are a competitive person, Peak is the number 1 app to challenge your brain. Elevate is a brain training program designed to improve attention, speaking skills, processing speed, memory, maths, and more. Happy Neuron features many popular HAPPYneuron games to stimulate your brain and track your progress over time. Nintendo’s Brain Age is the zenith of the brain training industry.
• Websites: Braingle is a place to solve puzzles, brush up on your trivia, play games and give your brain a workout. Human Benchmark is a website to test your brain.
• Card games: XM Solitaire are 200 card games for Windows (Freecell, Klondike, Fan, Spider, Pyramid, Gaps, …). Aisleriot is a collection of card games which are easy to play for the GNOME desktop environment (GNU/Linux).  
• Crosswords are a classic brain trainer. AARP offers a daily free crossword.  
• Soduku: HoDoKu is a solver, generator, trainer and analyzer for standard sudoku. It runs on Windows and GNU/Linux. You can play unlimited soduku puzzle online for free in Web Sudoku. Gnome Sudoku is a Soduku generator and solver for the GNOME Desktop (GNU/Linux). Genina is an application made by Sudoku lovers for Sudoku lovers (Android, iOS).
• Chess.

1. Chess.com. You can play chess online with millions of players around the world and a powerful computer opponent. Besides, you can enjoy free unlimited games and improve your chess rating with 50,000+ tactics puzzles, interactive lessons and videos.
2. lichess.org is a free chess app and a free/libre, no-ads, open source chess server.
3. Lucas Chess is a open source chess program to train, play, and compete.
4. PyChess is a fully featured, nice looking, easy to use chess client for the Gnome desktop.
5. Chess in GNU/Linux: sudo apt-get install scid (a chess database application) stockfish (a powerful and open source chess engine). Play against the chess engine. Open scid and select Tools, Analysis Engine. Click on New… Name (stockfish), Command (/usr/games/stockfish -you need to check it with: which stockfish), Directory (click the ~/.scid button).

• The GNUbik program is an interactive, graphical, single player puzzle. It is an implementation of the classic game that was invented by Erno Rubik.
• Word games: Words With Friends 2 is one of the most popular word games. Wordle is a very addictive online word game.
• Others: Khan Academy Kids is an award-winning educational app for young learners. GNOME Mahjongg is a solitaire version of the classic Eastern tile game. Escape is a fun puzzle game in the tradition of Adventures of Lolo or Chip’s Challenge, but does not rely at all on reflexes -it’s all about your brain. Hex-a-Hop is a hexagonal tile-based multiplatform puzzle game with one simple goal: destroy all green tiles. Fish Fillets is a Linux port of the puzzle game Fish Fillets from ALTAR interactive.
• And more: Domination (Risk), O A.D. (a free, open-source game of ancient warfare), Dominion, JigsawPuzzle.io (free multiplayer jigsaw puzzles), Rento Monopoly (a online multiplayer monopoly board game), Codenames, Board Game Arena, Tabletopia, Simon Tatham’s Portable Puzzle Collection, Best Friends Stars, YouTube Kids, Planet Earth, and Scratch Jr.