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Muscles need exercise to be strong. Your brain is no different – challenges sharpen its skills.
So to maintain mental fitness, it is important to continually take on new activities. This stimulates brain structures strongly subject to age-related processes and can help prevent dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Research Initiative (AFI), a Germany-based non-profit organisation.
Taking up a new hobby, learning a foreign language or joining a local theatre group will not only spice up your life, but also boost your brain.
When we think of ways to train our mind, doing crosswords and Sudoku puzzles often come to mind. But they are not very effective, the AFI says, because they only require you to call up information you already know.

Watching television is not mentally demanding either.
This cannot be said, however, about reading, doing jigsaw puzzles or playing parlour games.
Listening to music, making music and dancing to music also stimulates the brain. The AFI recommends that you not listen to the same songs over and over, but frequently change your personal playlist, giving your brain more variety.
Cultivating old friendships and building new ones not only pays emotional dividends, but mental ones too – social contact, conversing, reading others’ facial expressions and body language all exercise your brain.

Breaking up routines is beneficial as well.
“When you take a walk, run errands or go on an excursion in your area, choose unfamiliar routes and destinations,” suggests Alexandra Borchard-Becker, a consultant with Germany’s Consumer Initiative Association.
Other things you can do for more variety include brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, and going to different shops or supermarkets.
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Wellness

How learning new activities helps prevent dementia, from dancing to jigsaw puzzles

Keeping your brain active and challenged by doing new things - such as learning a new musical instrument - can help stave off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

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Social contact, conversing, reading others’ facial expressions and body language all exercise your brain. Photo: Shutterstock

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Writer Anthea Rowan with her husband on their wedding day, 36 years ago. Photo: Anthea Rowan

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How brain training apps, puzzles and reading keep the mind sharp, and ward off dementia

Playing brain game apps helps fight dementia, but they have to be challenging and preferably unfamiliar, say experts. Reading, doing jigsaw puzzles and chess are also beneficial for the brain. Photo: Shutterstock

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Our brains, like our muscles need regular use to stay healthy and flexible, say experts, and keeping our brains active builds our ‘cognitive reserve’, helping us to stave off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Geriatric psychiatrist Dr David Merrill recommends the active pursuit of activities that keep the brain sharp to stave off dementia. Photo: Dr David Merrill

Dorina Cadar says cultural and social engagement, reading, doing crossword puzzles, visiting art galleries, clubs and cinemas, and volunteering all increase our cognitive reserve. Photo: Dorina Cadar

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Don’t rely on sudoku to keep your mind fit. Make new friends, visit different places and learn new things to really challenge your brain


Don’t rely on sudoku to keep your mind fit. Make new friends, visit different places and learn new things to really challenge your brain.


Dementia

Mental health

Ageing society

How to age well

How learning new activities helps prevent dementia, from dancing to jigsaw puzzles

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Don’t rely on sudoku to keep your mind fit. Make new friends, visit different places and learn new things to really challenge your brain

Don’t rely on sudoku to keep your mind fit. Make new friends, visit different places and learn new things to really challenge your brain