Experts say if you want to keep your brain sharp, you need to use it. Here are some easy ways to keep your brain nimble in Adult Family Homes of Vancouver, WA. Some of these ideas are simple, some will take more planning, but all are worth the effort.

• Take a walk, by yourself, with a friend, or your dog. Walking for just 20 minutes a day can lower blood sugar.
• Play video games. Wii and Nintendo DS offer many games and brain teasers that can help build new neural connections, increase reaction time and boost memory skills.
• Try something that is a stretch for you. Learn a skill in an area that you don’t think of as a strength for you. If you are more comfortable with numbers, learn to draw. If language is your strength, try some logic puzzles.
• When you’re listening to someone telling a story, really pay attention to the details. Get a mental picture of the scene. Doing this, you activate multiple areas of the brain, and increase memory skills.
• Practice some type of meditation. It reduces the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits memory. Meditation also fends off depression and anxiety.
• Take a class. Research shows that taking courses at the community college or community center can help prevent the onset on dementia. Also check out book readings, seminars and similar events.
• Spend time listening to your favorite music. Music can lower stress hormones and increase feelings of well-being, both of which have benefits for brain health.
• Engage in debate. Whether it’s politics, sports, or business, a good debate can cause the formation of new neural pathways, and require you to think quickly and clearly.
• Get plenty of high quality sleep. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity for sharp brain functioning.
• Teach someone else to do something you are good at, whether it is cooking, playing the piano, painting, or knitting. Teaching activates many areas of the brain, keeps memory sharp, and calls for clear thinking. It’s a bonus that you will be engaging in something you enjoy as well.
• Learn to play an instrument, or reacquaint yourself with one you used to play. It’s associated with a lower risk of dementia, and it also defeats boredom, which can cause some brain functions to atrophy.
• Read a good book, and join a book club. Both reading and meeting new people are linked to keeping your brain sharp.
• Indulge in sensory experiences. People with the highest memory skills are those who regularly use all their senses.

These are just a few suggestions for keeping your brain young as you age. Choose one or two and try adding something interesting and fun into your life.