Brain Games - Help or Entertainment

Brain games seem to be the rage now, nobody wants dementia or Alzheimer's.  For years we've been working all kinds of word games and puzzles trying to stay sharp mentally.  Is it helping or are we just getting better at working puzzles and word games?

I view this subject as rather like a dog chasing it's tail.  Who knows?  I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it or researching it but I did read an article that made me happy because it agrees with my way of thinking.

I don't particularly like word games or puzzles.  I keep crossword puzzle books in the bathroom, have a word find puzzle on my phone and work jigsaw puzzles on my phone but that's about it for me.

This author seems to think the goal is to keep your mind active, how you do it is your choice.  If you like word games and puzzles, great.  However, you can accomplish just as much by reading books, newspapers, visiting museums, and any other activity that stimulates your mind.

The goal is to stay mentally stimulated.  The brain needs exercise just as our bodies need exercise.  There are many ways to exercise our bodies and many ways to stimulate our brains.

Now I'm going to mark this subject off my list of things to worry about and go merrily on my way doing things I enjoy that stimulate my brain.

Do you do any activities with the goal of keeping your mind sharp?