Busy Mind, Healthy Mind

Keeping your brain busy as you age may help ward off problems with memory and cognition. A recent study published in JAMA Neurology found that older adults who used computers or engaged in activities such as crafting or playing games had as much as a 30 percent lower risk for age-related cognitive problems.

The study followed more than 1,900 healthy people age 70 or older for an average of four years. Those who did these activities at least a couple times a week had less chance of losing memory and thinking skills than those who did them less often or not at all.

 “This is good news for people who are worried about mental decline with aging,” says Vladimir Klinov, M.D., of Southern Ocean Medical Center. “The key is to find an activity or two you enjoy and keep doing it.”