Healthy tips for keeping your mind sharp

Exercising your brain is just as important as maintaining other parts of your body. Although we naturally lose a bit of brain power as we age, there’s plenty that can be done to prevent it.

“You can build up your brain, just like a muscle,” Stephen Kritchevsky, PhD, director of the Sticht Center on Aging at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, told Prevention magazine.

While crossword puzzles and Sudoku will certainly give your brain a boost, there are other healthy ways that you can start sharpening your mind.

Exercise
Research shows that exercising regularly has clear mental benefits – from keeping you focused and alert to boosting your mood. In fact, keeping your body mass index below 25 can make a world of difference in improving your memory. Home gym equipment like the TRUE Fitness ES700 elliptical can help you get there with its Cardio360â„¢ training feature, specifically designed to give you the same workout that a personal trainer would have you do at the gym.

Eat the right food
In addition to regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet will also help you boost your brain power. Consuming three servings of vegetables each day can slow your cognitive decline by up to 40 percent. Eating fish once a week can also sharpen your mind, as can fitting foods rich in antioxidants – such as berries, carrots and tomatoes – into your diet.

Use the other hand
Want a simple way to get your brain buzzing? Try using the other hand. Whether you’re cooking dinner, grabbing your cellphone from your pocket or brushing your teeth, use your non​dominant hand to get the job done – it will stimulate the brain and may even put you on the path to becoming ambidextrous.

Meet new people
Who knew that having an active social life could also be good for your brain? Meeting new people (and trying to remember their names) will keep your mind sharp and improve your mood.