4. Mental Stimulation

Exercise doesn’t just involve lifting weights or jogging; it’s important to remember to work the brain every day. In an NIH ACTIVE study, older adults had a noticeable jump in cognitive function after only 10 mental training sessions. In a use it or lose it situation, mental exercises have long been shown to lessen risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Try practicing your ability to memorize strings of numbers or poems. Learning a new language is a great way to pump up your grey matter. Lastly, force your brain to think by playing games or doing puzzles, sudoku or crosswords.