Benefits of jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are relaxing, absorbing and a good workout for your thinking. Here is what research says about them, and what it doesn't.
They use many thinking skills at once
A 2018 study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience looked closely at jigsaw puzzling in 100 healthy adults aged 50 and over. How well people did a puzzle was strongly linked to eight different visual and thinking abilities, including perception, mental rotation, working memory, flexible thinking and reasoning. People with more years of puzzling behind them also had better visuospatial thinking, even after taking age and education into account.
Staying mentally active is linked to healthier ageing
Mayo Clinic researchers followed 1,929 people aged 70 and over for about four years (JAMA Neurology, 2017). Those who played games at least once or twice a week had a 22% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment than those who rarely did. Crafts, social activities and using a computer showed similar links.
Regular puzzlers do better on thinking tests
In the PROTECT study of more than 19,000 adults aged 50 to 93 (International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2019), people who did number puzzles more often scored better on tests of memory, attention and reasoning. That study was about number puzzles rather than jigsaws, but it points the same way: a regular puzzle habit goes together with a sharper mind.
What the research doesn't show
These studies show links, not proof that puzzles cause the benefits: people who stay sharp may simply enjoy puzzles more. In the 2018 study, a month of daily jigsaw puzzling made people better at puzzles, but did not measurably improve their other thinking skills more than in a comparison group. The researchers suggest that a long-term habit is what may matter.
Jigsaw puzzles are not a treatment for dementia or memory problems. If you are worried about your memory, talk to your doctor.
Other good reasons to puzzle
A puzzle is a calm, focused break: one picture, no rush, and a small win every time two pieces click together. You set the pace, stop whenever you like and pick up where you left off. It is also something to share, with a partner, a friend or the grandchildren on a 12- or 24-piece puzzle.
Tips for puzzling
Little and often beats a once-a-month marathon. Try different sizes: 24 pieces for a quick break, 150 or more when you want to settle in. Sit comfortably and take short breaks: in the 2018 study, some daily puzzlers had a sore back or shoulders for a while.
Sources
- Fissler P. et al. Jigsaw puzzling taps multiple cognitive abilities and is a potential protective factor for cognitive aging. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2018.
- Mayo Clinic News Network: Mayo Clinic researchers find mental activities may protect against mild cognitive impairment (JAMA Neurology, 2017).
- Brooker H. et al. The relationship between the frequency of number-puzzle use and baseline cognitive function in a large online sample of adults aged 50 and over. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2019.
This page is general information, not medical advice.