Mental exercises keep minds sharp

No matter what your age, you can always learn new things and remember old ones. Like the body, the mind needs exercise to stay fit. Here are two brain exercises to help you remember more:

• Try visual cues. For instance, imagine a room in your home, and mentally pair items from a grocery list with familiar points throughout the room. This method can help you later recall more items from that list. Or, picture your cat on top of your car to remind you to pick up cat food. A review of 31 studies found that these types of techniques helped adults’ memories improve.
• Use verbal cues. Verbal cues include acronyms and rhymes. Say you take four streets — Juniper, Astor, Drake and Eighteenth — to get to a new restaurant. Next time you go, saying the word “JADE” can serve as your guide.

Challenge your mind by learning new hobbies and continuing with activities that you enjoy, such as crossword puzzles.