7 mental health benefits of the Rubik’s Cube
Often seen as a demonstration of intelligence, the Rubik’s Cube has amazed people for decades. What was once the coolest toy on the market (in 1974 when it was invented by Ernő Rubik) is now a worldwide organisation with leagues and competitions.
People see the Rubik’s Cube as evidence of a high IQ, BUT what if I told you that solving a Rubik’s Cube does NOT require a high IQ and motor skills, but you end up having those assets precisely because you solve the Rubik’s Cube?
1. Reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Treatment for these diseases is expensive and only slows down the disease. A clear link has been shown in adults aged 55 to 93 between a lower risk of and daily puzzle solving. A study published in Geriatric Psychiatry shows a 15% improvement in “Spatial Working Memory” was found in adults who solve puzzles daily compared to those who never attempt puzzles of any kind.
2. Increased reaction time
Puzzles, and in particular the Rubik’s Cube, improve the ability to recognise patterns and analyse what the next moves should be. The same Geriatric Psychiatry study shows a direct correlation with faster reaction times in adults who regularly do puzzles, with an average of 8 milliseconds faster cognitive reaction.
3. Increased hand-eye coordination
When the mind processes what the best next move will be, it will only be done if the hands are able to keep up with the brain. Learning to solve a Rubik’s Cube increases the connection between your brain and your hands, and once you can solve one easily enough, you can start training yourself to solve it as quickly as possible. This game requires practice because it uses both parts of the brain at the same time – memory and hand-eye coordination.
4. Increased attention span
A study published by Baa Bee explains that in order to solve a Rubik’s cube you have to memorize several algorithms and the order in which to apply certain moves. When a child starts using the Rubik’s Cube at an early age, it trains their brain to focus on a task for a long time and paves the way for a strong memory.
5. Better problem-solving capacity
A study in Gale Academic Online that includes 25 people – 10 Rubik’s Cube experts and the rest 15 beginners. They tested the ability to adapt to changing environments. The results showed that experts had a much shorter observation time and were able to come up with solutions faster than novices. Experts were not only able to adapt and come up with solutions faster than novices, but they were able to implement their solutions in a more timely manner.
6. Increased long-term and short-term memory
There are so many things to consider when solving a Rubik’s cube and to be able to solve it quickly there can be no delay. When you first solve a Rubik’s cube, you will only learn 5 algorithms to use during the solving process. But when you decide to solve it as fast as you can, 78 different algorithms and the patterns those algorithms require are needed. You need to have the ability to remember which patterns relate to which movements and also be able to apply them in an extremely short time.
7. IQ Booster
In a Men’s Health article on how to improve your IQ, suggestion #1 is to try puzzles for about 25 minutes a day. According to their findings, the average adult can increase their IQ by about four points by challenging their brain with different types of puzzles every day. This is because puzzles not only require a good memory, but they increase what is called “working memory” – the memory that goes beyond remembering, and means remembering and knowing how to implement what you have learned.
🧠 At first glance, solving a Rubik’s Cube may seem like a difficult and frustrating task for many of us, but we no doubt want the positive effects it can have on our brains.
Fortunately, there are other ways to get it, through tools dedicated to stimulating our brains, scientifically called Computer Cognitive Stimulation. Not only do they give you challenges that match your level, but they help you feel like you’re progressing from one step to the next. Find out more:
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