Brain training with bingo is the fun way to stay sharp as a senior. The world of the TV couch potato is not for everyone. Southampton University in the UK is the site of brain training research. Julie Winstone performed her study of the effect of bingo on the aging process of the mind. She related her findings at a British Psychological Society conference.
The Winstone Research
Ms. Winstone’s research involved 112 subjects. She organized them into four groups by age and bingo participation. In the 18-40 age group, half were bingo players. Likewise, in the 60-82 age group, half played bingo and half did not. The researcher tested her subjects with single-digit grid scans; pairs of digits were then scanned; and lastly, three digits were scanned on a grid.
The older subjects were truly made up of senior citizens. 82 years of age is no youngster after all. The bingo players in the older set were quicker and more accurate than their contemporaries who did not play bingo. The younger group of bingo players was quicker, but the older set of bingo players proved to be more accurate.
Thus the seniors who played bingo out-performed even those in the 18-40 age bracket who played bingo! This indicates that a lifetime of bingo games sharpens the mind and continues to develop the brain during the entirety of a playing lifespan.
Those who often play bingo, sustain and develop their mind’s reactions, thereby increasing their mental agility. Physical activity has likewise been proven to refresh the brain in senior citizens. Combining the two is doubly effective.
Bingo at its Best
Several specific characteristics of bingo yield the mental advantages found in the Southampton study. Concentration is one of the elements that are universally acknowledged to be adversely affected by age.
Bingo counters that decline by requiring players to maintain their attention span for hours at a time. Therefore, a 70-year-old who has spent a lifetime playing bingo has developed, and is constantly developing, the gift of concentration.
Finding an object such as a number, amid a crowd of similar objects, is another factor that generally becomes more difficult with age. Bingo specifically adds to the mental ability of all players to quickly and accurately find correct numbers.
It also requires players to remain good listeners. Further, memory is sustained through the natural process of memorizing the bingo cards being played, and the mind must remain alert in order to complete long and exciting sessions of play.
Recent research has proven that new cells are constantly being created within the brain during everyone’s lifetime. At one point, science had believed that brain cell production ceased at a certain age. We now know that cells are always being produced, though at a slower rate as the person ages. Bingo capitalizes on that consistent cell growth, and maximizes the player’s mental agility.
The Popular Appeal of Bingo
Two decades ago, an older crowd congregated at bingo halls for evenings of social warmth and exciting games. Along came celebrities such as Catherine Zeta Jones, Bianca Jagger, Jade Jagger and Elle MacPherson, leading the way to a change in the age configuration.
Gloria Pattinson of the National Bingo Association, has concluded that as a result of celebrities becoming enthralled by bingo, a younger crowd now appears at evening bingo events and then joins their contemporaries at pubs and clubs.
The morning and afternoon games continue to be mainly inhabited by seniors. The Association estimates that 3,000,000 bingo players currently enjoy the game on a consistent basis. The Bingo Association further speculates that the average player is around 49 years of age.
Most players do not give a thought to brain training. The magnetic appeal of bingo is the enjoyment of the game and the excitement of winning, along with the positive social interaction provided at bingo halls and online chatrooms.
Pure Joy of Bingo
Wholly aside from the benefits of sharpening minds and developing excellent eye-hand coordination, is the element of happiness as a psychological booster. Bingo players who frequently connect with other players during games, experience the rejuvenation of happy communication. And with each win that sense of joy is enhanced. The tendency toward depression in older individuals wholly dissipates with the thrill of winning and the feeling of comfort achieved by human interaction.
Bingo is available to everyone, both at bingo halls and online. This exciting game energizes a substantial portion of the world’s population!
Guest Author
The Winstone Research
Ms. Winstone’s research involved 112 subjects. She organized them into four groups by age and bingo participation. In the 18-40 age group, half were bingo players. Likewise, in the 60-82 age group, half played bingo and half did not. The researcher tested her subjects with single-digit grid scans; pairs of digits were then scanned; and lastly, three digits were scanned on a grid.
The older subjects were truly made up of senior citizens. 82 years of age is no youngster after all. The bingo players in the older set were quicker and more accurate than their contemporaries who did not play bingo. The younger group of bingo players was quicker, but the older set of bingo players proved to be more accurate.
Thus the seniors who played bingo out-performed even those in the 18-40 age bracket who played bingo! This indicates that a lifetime of bingo games sharpens the mind and continues to develop the brain during the entirety of a playing lifespan.
Those who often play bingo, sustain and develop their mind’s reactions, thereby increasing their mental agility. Physical activity has likewise been proven to refresh the brain in senior citizens. Combining the two is doubly effective.
Bingo at its Best
Several specific characteristics of bingo yield the mental advantages found in the Southampton study. Concentration is one of the elements that are universally acknowledged to be adversely affected by age.
Bingo counters that decline by requiring players to maintain their attention span for hours at a time. Therefore, a 70-year-old who has spent a lifetime playing bingo has developed, and is constantly developing, the gift of concentration.
Finding an object such as a number, amid a crowd of similar objects, is another factor that generally becomes more difficult with age. Bingo specifically adds to the mental ability of all players to quickly and accurately find correct numbers.
It also requires players to remain good listeners. Further, memory is sustained through the natural process of memorizing the bingo cards being played, and the mind must remain alert in order to complete long and exciting sessions of play.
Recent research has proven that new cells are constantly being created within the brain during everyone’s lifetime. At one point, science had believed that brain cell production ceased at a certain age. We now know that cells are always being produced, though at a slower rate as the person ages. Bingo capitalizes on that consistent cell growth, and maximizes the player’s mental agility.
The Popular Appeal of Bingo
Two decades ago, an older crowd congregated at bingo halls for evenings of social warmth and exciting games. Along came celebrities such as Catherine Zeta Jones, Bianca Jagger, Jade Jagger and Elle MacPherson, leading the way to a change in the age configuration.
Gloria Pattinson of the National Bingo Association, has concluded that as a result of celebrities becoming enthralled by bingo, a younger crowd now appears at evening bingo events and then joins their contemporaries at pubs and clubs.
The morning and afternoon games continue to be mainly inhabited by seniors. The Association estimates that 3,000,000 bingo players currently enjoy the game on a consistent basis. The Bingo Association further speculates that the average player is around 49 years of age.
Most players do not give a thought to brain training. The magnetic appeal of bingo is the enjoyment of the game and the excitement of winning, along with the positive social interaction provided at bingo halls and online chatrooms.
Pure Joy of Bingo
Wholly aside from the benefits of sharpening minds and developing excellent eye-hand coordination, is the element of happiness as a psychological booster. Bingo players who frequently connect with other players during games, experience the rejuvenation of happy communication. And with each win that sense of joy is enhanced. The tendency toward depression in older individuals wholly dissipates with the thrill of winning and the feeling of comfort achieved by human interaction.
Bingo is available to everyone, both at bingo halls and online. This exciting game energizes a substantial portion of the world’s population!
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Guest Author
About the Author:
I'm an avid bingo writer and bingo player. Feel free to comment on my article.
I'm an avid bingo writer and bingo player. Feel free to comment on my article.
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