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Train your brain with video games. Instead of twiddling your thumbs in the waiting room, play challenging games on your phone instead.

Feeling guilty for indulging in an online game? Don’t. New research shows that playing video games can help give us a mental edge. Just as certain exercises will strengthen particular muscles, different types of video games can improve the specific set of mental skills used for the game. Researchers found that people who played the action game Modern Combat, for instance, improved their ability to track multiple objects in a short span of time. Those who played spatial memory games, like Bejeweled or Hidden Expedition, improved their performance on visual search tasks, like finding their car in a parking lot. Most Americans spend too much time engaged in sedentary activities, so we don’t recommend giving up your gardening or walking routine to play video games. However, if you find yourself stuck in a waiting room or on a train, why not whip your brain into shape with a video game? - Cleveland Clinic