Double your memory in a month?

It’s the first study of its kind.

An international team of researchers gave people real-world memory tasks in simulated everyday settings, and then looked at whether the gains would transfer to the peoples’ home lives.

It took only one month. Just that brief training with a computer brain game helped people significantly strengthen prospective memory (a type of memory that is crucial for planning, everyday functioning and independent living).

In fact, the people “more than doubled” the number of prospective memory tasks performed correctly – like remembering what they learned during music lessons – compared to control groups.

The number of people who suffer memory problems as they age is mind-blowing. Fortunately, studies like this one are proving that if you use it you don’t lose it.

According to researcher Larry Baer: “Retirement usually occurs right around the time when normal age-related declines in cognitive function come to the fore. So it is important to understand what is happening to brainpower during this period and to identify risk factors for mental decline, as well as factors that will help protect against it.”

A study out of Canada gives us three activities you should start now that will also drop your risk of falling into dementia as you age.

The three ways to defend your brain include:

1. Doing tasks that challenge your forward thinking, specifically. Of course crosswords are good, but figuring out new things, like solving puzzles you’ve never seen, learning a new piece of music, reading new books, learning languages, and staying engaged with current events are better.
2. Vary your mental activities. Don’t do the very same mental exercises over and over.
3. If you feel depressed, take actions to boost your mood. Exercise, social activities like going to live theater, and eating more fruits and vegetables may help.

Discover 5 more easy ways to save your mind, click here!