I love trivia. I have accumulated much useless information over my
lifetime, it has to be good for something. That plethora of pointless
facts does more than get me a good score at my local pub, it keeps the
synapses in my brain sharp and firing. Just as jogging, weight-lifting
or Zumba class can improve your physical condition, cognitive games can
strengthen your brain and keep it functioning and healthy.
Chess, word and number puzzles, crosswords, jigsaws and memory recall
games - all mentally challenging games - are beneficial in stimulating
the brain and encouraging new neural connections.
Trivia has all these benefits plus the social aspect when played in a group setting.
With respect to cognitive development, trivia exercises the pathways to
long-term memory and mental stimulation, which keeps the brain healthy,
functioning and active. Exercising memory recall, aural and verbal
skills, and using visual cues, not only strengthen mental and cognitive
abilities, but they can also help develop new cells. Aging brains have
the ability to grow, adapt and develop new cells to compensate for lost
ones.
Trivia also has the added mental and intellectual stimulation resulting
from socialization. Meeting new people, forming new attachments and
deepening companionships are another benefit from playing trivia in a
group setting.
Socialization through leisure activities and games keeps people engaged
and contributes to a higher quality of life and general well-being.
So if you’re interested in boosting your brain power, meeting new
friends and dazzling others with your expert knowledge of useless facts,
try playing trivia.
There are organized trivia games and leagues throughout the city and across Ontario:
PubStumpers: PubStumpers is a Windsor-based business that creates trivia
packages for pubs and restaurants. It is played in more than 200 venues
across Canada and the U.S. It’s a weekly, live-hosted socially engaging
game that runs for 12 weeks. Players can join any time they like and
it’s free to play.
Depending on where you go, teams can be competitive. Put your thinking
cap on and dig in your heels if you’re confident you know the correct
answer. There is also a version for the 55-plus demographic called Grey
Matters! and a new edition to the games roster is the bingo-based,
Zengo.
You can checkout the full roster of games www.thecrowdmakers.com
Meetup.com: One of my favourite social networking sites is Meetup.com.
This site brings together like-minded people based on your interests and
area code. It’s a global network of friendships waiting to happen. You
can find trivia and games meet-ups by just typing in your postal code at
www.meetup.com
Toronto Trivia League: Played at several pubs in the east end, this
league started in 1992. You can create your own team or join an existing
one. There is a per person charge to play. The new season began Sept.
9. If you want to create your own team or join an existing one, check
their website at www.trivialeague.com
Retirement residences/community centres: Independent seniors’ centres
and retirement residences run their own trivia nights. Some of these
residences open up their activities to the community. Ask one in your
neighbourhood if you can attend and check out their facilities and
services.
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Original link: http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/4120341-health-age-well-suggest-indulging-in-a-little-brain-candy-with-trivia/
