Friday, 04/17/2026
Health
8 ways to keep your mind sharp
Update: 16/09/2016
Most people focus on physical problems – high blood\r\npressure, pain, disability – but if your mental health isn’t functioning\r\noptimally, your physical health will suffer as well.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The good news: Studies show you can bolster your\r\nbrain’s reserves and reduce your risk of losing your mind by adopting some\r\nbasic health habits. Already in your golden years? Don’t fret. Research also\r\nshows the brain continues forming new connections throughout our lifespans. And\r\nyou can help it along with these eight brain-boosting strategies:
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1.\r\nLearn a foreign language
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Learning a second (or a third) language challenges\r\nthe brain in new ways and may even delay the onset of dementia, according to\r\nrecent research. Say you learn the word for mother in Spanish is “madre.â€\r\nInitially, you may have to concentrate to remember that word, but if you\r\npractice, over time, it becomes part of your vocabulary. That easy recall\r\nproves your brain has laid down a new pathway.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Pick one night a week to speak in another\r\nlanguage (however poorly), or stay silent and communicate with sign language.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2.\r\nTry a new activity
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Engaging in mentally challenging activities helps\r\nbuild a reserve of brainpower you can draw on for years. The key, of course, is\r\nchoosing unfamiliar activities that you enjoy. Play chess, take up gardening or\r\nlearn to play a musical instrument. It doesn’t matter what you choose, provided\r\nthe activity is new to you.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: If you’re a whiz at crossword puzzles, do\r\na word search activity instead. Comfortable with writing exercises? Try your\r\nhand at drawing or painting.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3.\r\nEat brain-boosting foods.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole\r\ngrains, and low in saturated fat and sugar, can help protect brain networks. In\r\nfact, studies consistently show that eating a mix of nourishing foods—fruits,\r\nvegetables, nuts …, —sharpens your mind and fights off mental decline.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Keep a stash of trail mix in your\r\npocketbook or glove box. The brain needs consistent fuel (at least every 3 to 5\r\nhours) to function well.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4.\r\nExercise
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Research consistently links physical exercise with\r\nbrain benefits, particularly in the regions responsible for learning and\r\nmemory. But don’t worry. You don’t have to spend 90 minutes in the gym to\r\nexperience exercise’s mind-boosting effects. Even moderate exercise (say\r\njogging, cycling or even walking) for about 30 minutes daily can get the blood\r\nflowing to your head.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick Tip: Preliminary research suggests the perks\r\nof physical activity are more pronounced when combined with a mental challenge.\r\nSo things like taking a dance class, learning martial arts or practicing yoga\r\nmay be especially beneficial.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sleep\r\nclears out waste products from the brain and is one of the best things you can\r\ndo to help your memory, says Rumana Yunus, M.D.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
5.\r\nGet some sleep
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Getting sufficient sleep is one of the best things\r\nyou can do for your brain. While researchers aren’t entirely clear what happens\r\nin the mind when you’re snoozing, they do know that sleep is critical for the\r\nbody and mind to function at their prime. Sleep not only reenergizes the body’s\r\ncells and clears out waste products from the brain, it also promotes learning\r\nand memory.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Strive to get seven to eight hours of\r\nsleep each night. Can’t manage to sleep that many hours in one stretch?\r\nConsider a daytime power nap.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
6.\r\nStay on top of your health conditions
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Just as your mind can help protect your body,\r\nkeeping your body humming can protect your mind. Health conditions ranging from\r\ndiabetes and high blood pressure to depression and hypothyroidism can impact\r\nhow well your brain functions.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Protect your memory by following your\r\ndoctor’s advice carefully, taking medications appropriately and reporting any\r\nchanges in how your brain is functioning.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
7.\r\nMeditate
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The brain needs time to restore itself and reflect.\r\nIn fact, research links “thinking about not thinking†to a host of physical and\r\nmental health benefits. And emerging research suggests meditating regularly may\r\neven enhance your memory.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Take 10 to 15 minutes each day to quiet\r\nyour mind and focus on only one thing: your breathing. Not only will you give\r\nyour brain an opportunity to recharge, but the focused breaths will promote\r\nblood flow to it, too.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
8.\r\nConnect
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Maintaining close relationships requires a certain\r\nlevel of brainpower. Not only do you have to think fast to engage in\r\nconversation, but resolving conflicts and debating current affairs flexes\r\nmental muscles as well. So it’s no wonder studies suggest that socially active\r\nseniors are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their wallflower\r\ncounterparts.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Quick tip: Develop friendships with people of\r\ndifferent ages, races and ethnic backgrounds to increase the load on your\r\nbrain. Processing differences in speech, tone, even the latest cultural lingo\r\ncan challenge the brain to build new connections.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Above all, the easiest way to keep your mind sharp\r\nas you age is to develop a meaningful life. The combination of a healthy\r\nlifestyle, work that motivates you and a sense of purpose goes a long way in\r\nterms of safeguarding the brain.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you notice a change in your memory, or if you\r\nfind you’re struggling to think clearly, make an appointment to talk with your\r\nprimary doctor or a specialist.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Rumana Yunus, M.D - The Detroit News