Game your way healthy!

Playing games is a perfect way to while away the day! And when you do, you'll be improving your health and happiness

- GABRIELLE LICHTERMAN

Avoid allergies with video games!

Regularly playing video games (like Candy Crush or solitaire) can keep you from sneezing, wheezing and itching your way through fall allergy season. Research in the Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation shows that distracting yourself from day-to-day worries with a fun digital game reduces stress. That’s key since curbing tension reduces the output of an inflammation-triggering compound when you’re exposed to allergens (like ragweed). As a result, you’re less likely to develop symptoms.

Make small talk easy with board games

A study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that playing board games like Clue or Monopoly with others makes you more eloquent and comfortable when speaking. Thanks goes to “the competitive and cooperative nature of board games,” says Jenny Woo, Ph.D., founder of MindBrainEmotion.​com and creator of the 52 Essential collection of skill-building card games. Trying to beat an opponent or working with team members gives you lots to say. And all that talking makes you better at chatting in daily conversation.

OR DO CROSSWORDS Another study found that crossword puzzles (like the one on page 44) improve verbal abilities. They prompt you to think of lots of words, strengthening the brain’s language networks.