mental agility

Brain health is another reason to get on your bicycle, to the swimming pool, or wherever else you like to exercise your body. The reason: Exercise has positive benefits for the hippocampus, important for learning and memory. It can also help create new cells! ... View slideshow >>

Find a solitary activity such as completing a crossword puzzle or knitting, and see if by concentrating, you can succeed better or more quickly. The reason: By making the activity more demanding, you'll re-engage the brain's learning machinery. ... View slideshow >>

Add blueberries to your regular diet. The reason: Studies suggest that a diet rich in blueberries can improve short-term memory, balance and coordination. ... View slideshow >>

If you're right-handed, use your left hand for daily activities (or vice-versa). Start with brushing your teeth, then build up to more complex tasks, such as eating. The reason: Doing a familiar exercise in a new way will help millions of neurons learn new tricks! ... View slideshow >>

Practice throwing and catching a ball up in the air. If you're good at it, take up juggling. The reason: People who master sensory-guided movement activities can hone their brains' visual, tactile and hand-eye coordination responses. ... View slideshow >>

Turn your TV volume down from where you normally have it set. See if by concentrating, you can follow just as successfully as when the volume was higher. The reason: You'll fine-tune your listening skills, enabling you to catch every word when talking to others. ... View slideshow >>

Do a jigsaw puzzle that will be challenging for you -- no fewer than 500 pieces. The reason: Completing a jigsaw entails mentally "rotating" the pieces, manipulating them in your hands, and shifting your attention from the small piece to the "big picture." ... View slideshow >>

Learn to play a new instrument or take up an old one. The reason: Playing an instrument helps you exercise many interrelated dimensions of brain function, including listening, control of refined movements, and translation of written notes to music. ... View slideshow >>

Sit on a park bench or in a café and stare straight ahead without moving your eyes. Without moving, focus on everything you see, including your peripheral vision -- and make a list. The reason: You'll reinvigorate neurotransmitters crucial to focus and memory. ... View slideshow >>

Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy, but don't have memorized. Write down all the lyrics, then learn to sing along. Once you've mastered one song, move on to another! The reason: Developing careful listening habits will sharpen your understanding, thinking and remembering. ... View slideshow >>