Puzzles are often referred to as “toys” because, of course, they are a lot of fun. Like all games and toys, did you know that they also have many benefits, especially for our health?
Whether it’s helping you relax through near-meditation, improving the processing speed of your brain, or even preventing serious illness later in life, puzzles have a lot to offer. Discover the eight ways your passion for puzzles can help you improve your health!
1-Les puzzles réduisent le stress
Puzzles require a level of thinking, concentration and patience that challenges our minds. Concentrating while sorting the pieces or staring at the image for a long time is both meditative and satisfying. It calms us down and lowers our stress level. When we put two pieces of the puzzle together (you know that nice feeling!), our brain releases dopamine, which has a positive effect on our mood, memory and motivation.
2-Les puzzles nous aident à déconnecter
We all know that spending too much time in front of the screen is bad for our health: it affects our weight, our sleeping habits, the health of our eyes and brain, and even our cognitive development. So the less time we spend looking at your screens – when you’re reading this blog, for example – the better. Puzzles are not only a good alternative to Instagram – they give you real time to relax!
3- Les puzzles entraînent notre mémoire à court terme
As you go through the puzzle pieces to find the exact shade of color you need, with the specific shape of the hole you’re trying to fill, you need to keep the details in your short-term memory.
These skills strengthen the connections between brain cells and help create new ones, which speeds up the processing of your thoughts. Strengthening your short-term memory helps you perform very important tasks in everyday life, like finding out where you parked the car or… gosh, what were we talking about?
4- Les puzzles améliorent notre dextérité
A Princeton University study confirms that puzzles can improve motor skills such as dexterity, also known as fine motor skills. When you take small pieces, turn them over and place them in small places, it exercises all those little muscles in your fingers and eyes.
Since puzzles come in all kinds of different shapes, with pieces of different sizes and number of pieces, they can even be used in physical therapy, recovery and daily dexterity training. Start with smaller or easier puzzles, then you can eventually move on to difficult 1000-piece puzzles like these.
5-Les puzzles réduisent le risque de démence et d’Alzheimer
It sounds like a cliché, but a study by Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience explains that engaging your brain in activities such as puzzles can reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Puzzles are excellent problem-solving activities that promote the growth of new nerve cells and may reduce the amount of brain cell damage that occurs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The next time you’re worried about spending too much time doing puzzles, feel good about the preventative power of the humble puzzle!
6-Les puzzles renforcent les capacités cognitives
Puzzles, no matter how many pieces, challenge our intellectual processes. We exercise our mind by studying the image and its details. By recognizing shapes, colors and patterns, and treating them as part of a larger image, our problem-solving skills are put to the test. We set up “strategies” to succeed faster: sorting of the pieces, identification of colors or shapes, cooperation with other players…
A study by the National Biotechnology Information Center shows that puzzles also use your visual and spatial skills as you work on the different pieces, understanding what they are and how they fit into the rest of the puzzle. These skills can be a great help in driving, packing and navigating.
7-Les puzzles inspirent la socialisation
Many of us like to do puzzles on our own, but tackling a puzzle with someone else can also give a little boost to your overall well-being! Working together to achieve a goal promotes teamwork and prevents loneliness. And studies have shown that socialization and connecting with others is essential to your health. Mixing generations around a big puzzle is also a way of living something else, of weaving other links.
The American Psychological Association has found that lack of connectedness to others can be more damaging to health than obesity. So, next time you want to do some puzzles, invite a few friends instead!
So don’t ever worry about spending too much time doing puzzles again! It’s officially good for you! Why not make a new puzzle and get to work immediately?
8-Les puzzles améliorent l’estime de soi
If you ask a child to tackle a 1000 piece puzzle, it will be a real challenge for him. 1000 pieces is a lot! But when you finish it, the resulting pride will reward patience and effort.
From the age of 7, a child can do a 1000 piece puzzle, but with the help of an adult. The help and the kind and encouraging look of the adult will push the child to continue playing. Driven by the pleasure of seeing the big picture unfold little by little, players will surely reach the end of their challenge. A great way to highlight a child’s success, especially if he tends to devalue or doubt himself!
Discover here our selection of 1000 pieces jigsaw puzzles for the whole family.
