Simple tips to exercise your brain

Simple tips to exercise your brain

Yes, our brain shrinks as we age. And vitamin B can help. But it's also important to remember that your brain is like a muscle. It needs exercise. And as with everything else, if you don't use it, you'll lose it.

So here are some suggestions for keeping your brain in tip-top shape:

• Try reading books on topics that are unfamiliar to you.

• Join a book club or cooking class.

• Play Brain Age on the DS gaming system.

• Take up crossword puzzles, solitaire, Soduku, or jigsaw puzzles.

• Start a collection of teacups, shells, postcards, or vintage toys.

• Use your non-dominant hand for everyday tasks, such as guiding the mouse on the computer or brushing your teeth.

• Start walking (yes, studies show physical exercise improves memory!)

• Travel...it's amazing how much you'll learn by visiting a new place.

• Take a foreign language class at the community college.

• Take up meditation.

• Rearrange all the drawers at home or at your office.

• Try to learn one "new" word a day.

• Use cash to pay for your purchases.

• Put together a scrapbook.

• Memorize a new song or poem.

• Volunteer at an elementary school library.

All these activities help to rebuild neural connections in your brain. And keep reading my Guide to Good Health. That's always a winner for your brain!