As we age, our mental abilities start to decline due to changes in neural connections. Have you had a moment of forgetfulness as you have gotten older? Well, the decline of your mental abilities is not completely inevitable. You might even be able to help slow it down, as the brain is always capable of producing new cells. Scientists have found that keeping your brain active can decrease this decline and help build brain cell as well as building new connections. The goal is to use your brain more often to prevent from losing these abilities. Keep up with your health and care for your brain.

The first step in this is keeping your brain active as often as you can. This can be by committing yourself to learning something new every day. Read books is another way to keep up with your health and care for your brain. Another great way is by playing games. Things like video games and board games are a great activity for this.

A healthy lifestyle will also contribute to a healthy brain. Aerobic exercise and proper diet can contribute to the overall mental function. Exercise has been shown to stall some mental decline and might even be able to aid in memory. This is due to the increased development of capillaries in the brain. More capillaries means more blood going to the brain means more oxygen and nutrients. Even if it is just a 30 minute walk around, your brain will benefit. A healthy diet will also aid this process.

Do an activity that involves using your hands. Things like knitting, playing an instrument, or even building something can help with motor functioning. This is a great way to not only gain some finer finger control; it keeps your brain from sitting idle and declining.

Solving puzzles is another way to keep your brain active. Different types of puzzles will work different parts of your brain. Crossword puzzles, for example, will work the language and memory parts of your brain. Other puzzles include Sudoku and jigsaw puzzles.

As we age the potential of mental decline is increase, but that doesn’t always mean it is unavoidable. Be mindful of your health and care for your brain. Keeping it active and always working will help keep your brain active and youthful. Doing some of the thing listed here can help keep your brain developing.