Experts say mental challenges can sharpen your thinking. In one four-year study, healthy older people who stayed employed or did volunteer work or gardening had more blood flowing to their brains and did significantly better on IQ tests than their less active peers did. What’s more, research suggests that people whose minds stay sharp into old age also live longer.
To keep your mind stimulated, indulge in hobbies and puzzles that are different from what you do on the job; they’ll make your mind work in new ways (and have the added benefit of relaxing you). Socializing of any kind keeps the mind geared up for conversation. Reading a variety of newspapers gives you different perspectives on similar events.
You can also keep your mind fit by keeping your body fit. Long-term aerobic exercise has been shown to help keep older people mentally sharp, according to research at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. A study there found that men age 60 and older who had exercised regularly for five or more years scored significantly higher than nonexercisers of the same age on tests measuring mental quickness and recall.