Living a healthy mental life is just as important as catering to your physical body. While it is often neglected, regularly exercising your brain and keeping it active hold numerous benefits that would help your mind stay sharp even as you age.

According to Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, engaging in any form of brain exercise is better than doing nothing at all to improve your mental state. So, while you think of building your body by visiting the gym as often as you can, you can exercise your mind in several ways—one of which is by playing solitaire.

Being open to experiencing new things and challenging your mind to see and do things differently would have a huge impact on your mental state. Solitaire is one game with numerous variants to choose from, for example, La Belle Lucie is a version of the game where there are 18 stacks of 3 cards each on the tableau. By engaging in it, you’re able to adequately challenge yourself to come up with winning strategies and learn from your failures.

Several studies have shown that playing solitaire can be mentally stimulating especially for adults, leading to improved thinking capabilities and retention skills. It can also be likened to meditation since it gives the same calming effect on the mind. Playing the game requires a lot of patience before making any move and continuous involvement would put your mind in a relaxed state—free from whatever trouble you may be experiencing.

A common stereotype of ageing is that many young people are bold and adventurous but as they grow older, they start to become less interested in many activities. Games like solitaire are perfect for getting you out of your comfort zone and challenging your mental skills. The different available versions mean you don’t have to play the same type of game every single time and can easily pick up an unfamiliar version to exercise your brain more.

The bottom line is that focusing on improving your mental health is one of the best things you can do to enhance your concentration level, memory, focus and mental agility, irrespective of your age.