Reading an analogue clock is a cognitive workout, requiring attribution of different values to the same 12 symbols, interpreted on three parallel planes — seconds, minutes, hours.
In the UK, media attention has focused more on Johnson's observations that modern computer games require concentration, forward planning, lateral thinking and sustained problem solving - and, as such, offer a "cognitive workout" that can benefit overall mental development.
In a recent book claiming that television and video games were "making our minds sharper," the journalist Steven Johnson argued that since we value reading for "exercising the mind," we should value electronic media for offering a superior "cognitive workout".
This is a considerable test of executive control — just the kind of cognitive workout, in fact, that is common in many commercial brain-training programs, which often require you to ignore distracting information while tackling a task.
Numerous studies have illustrated the benefits of physical workout and cognitive exercise on brain function and structure and, more importantly, on decelerating cognitive decline in old age and promoting functional rehabilitation following injury.
The CrossFit approach forces the practitioner to almost put themselves into "survival mode" both physically and mentally, which may create greater cognitive sparks post-workout than the more traditional approaches to fitness.
Instinct tells us that playing bridge and doing the crossword are good for the brain, but workouts also improve cognitive function, although the process is poorly understood.
Learning a language at any stage in life provides a thorough workout, but other cognitive "exercises," such as doing puzzles or playing a musical instrument, might also benefit stroke recovery, he said.
It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles.
