Everyone knows that eating right and exercising keeps your body in shape, but what about your brain? A new study shows that playing cards could leave you will a "full deck" later in life.
By Heather Sawers
Posted: Nov. 12, 2004
Bryan Rapson is going to Florida on Nov. 18 to play bridge in the North American Bridge Championships. PHOTO: Heather Sawers
Twenty-four people are seated in groups of four at little tables. The only sounds are the light slaps of playing cards shuffling together. They’re playing bridge, and while it looks like casual fun, these 24 people could be reducing their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine took 469 relatively healthy senior citizens and studied them for five years, focusing mainly on their leisure activities. The results suggested that mental activities such as cards greatly reduced the risk of dementia, whereas physical activities such as dance and exercise did not help prevent dementia.
Dr. Neil Charness of Florida State University has done many studies on the relationship between Bridge-playing and memory.
"The literature shows that those who play Bridge, compared to those who do not, have better reasoning and memory abilities," Charness said in an email interview.
It’s the challenge-aspect of bridge that really benefits seniors, according to Charness. When an older brain isn’t regularly stimulated, dementia or memory-loss usually develops, and that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Bridge is continuously recommended by experts because it’s more complex than other games, and requires planning, strategizing, and logic.
![Joe Currie: "I like [bridge] because it's a challenge." PHOTO: Heather Sawers](files/sawers_bridge2.jpg)
Joe Currie: "I like [bridge] because it's a challenge." PHOTO: Heather Sawers
Bryan Rapson is one of the players this afternoon at Halifax Bridge World, a non-profit club on Joseph Howe Drive. He has been playing bridge for 54 years and just reached the status of Diamond Life Master. Next Thursday Rapson is jetting off to Florida for the North American Bridge Championships. He has traveled all over the world to take part in competitions, including Hawaii (several times). He estimates he’s played in over 1,000 tournaments.
"It’s my favourite game,” says Rapson. “It’s a way of meeting different people and having a good time."
Across the table, Joe Currie nods in agreement. Currie has been playing bridge for more than 60 years and is also going to the championships in Florida next week.
"Mentally I make a lot of mistakes," says Currie, who is hard of hearing. "But I enjoy the game because it’s a challenge."
Linda Holland, director of Halifax Bridge World, estimates that about 70 per cent of the members are 65 and older. But she says that bridge can be played by virtually anyone at any age. The club offers large-print and brail cards for visually-impaired players, and all the bids are filed into a bidding box so players aren’t restricted by hearing-loss or speaking another language.
Linda Holland, director of Halifax Bridge World: Bridge "will keep their minds sharper as they get older." PHOTO: Heather Sawers
Holland has always advocated that playing bridge is beneficial for seniors. She says the mental aspect is vital, but there is also evidence that playing bridge can actually strengthen your immune system.
A 2000 study at the University of California, Berkley, suggested that bridge players have increased numbers of immune cells after a game. Marian Cleeves Diamond, who coordinated the study, did research which suggested the mind's ability to affect the immune system involves a part of the brain that is active when people sort cards.
With all this new evidence that playing bridge keeps the brain active and helps ward off colds, it looks like the tables at Halifax Bridge World could be filling up quickly. Holland says in the past few years she has seen a huge increase in the amount of people wanting to learn bridge, and she attributes that to the Baby Boomers starting to retire. "They all grew up playing cards, and now it’s only natural that they get back into playing," she explains. "Retirement is a perfect reason to start playing, because it will keep their minds sharper as they get older."
The Wednesday afternoon rounds are over, and the players start to pack up the cards. "Bridge is a great activity for another reason," says Holland. She gestures to the players exclaiming over their score sheets and discussing the hands. "They’re happy. When you’re happy, you’re a healthier person."