I am not kidding, I started writing this post, and I couldn’t remember if I had already done so. In fairness, I am generally working on 4 or 5 posts at a time, but I really drew a blank on this one. If this or something similar happens to you with more frequency than usual, you may be having some lapses in memory, like me. I can’t remember exactly when it first started, but this absent-mindedness (hopefully, that’s all there is to it) prompted me to start asking myself, “how do I improve my memory, right now? The good news is there are a number of things we can do right now to boost memory and increase brain power, like exercise, socializing, reading out loud, and playing brain games. If you want to know more, read on.

Get Moving

Well, this is just elementary. If you’re over 50, you likely remember the President’s Council on Physical Fitness (and those dreaded pull-ups and rope climbs). Even back then, studies suggested that exercise helped increase and improve brain function. Its easy to reason why. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen throughout the body, including the brain, and the increase in blood flow helps deliver hormones and nutrients to that region of the brain that affects memory and learning. Several studies suggest that moderately intense exercise can improve memory performance. Exercise can also help the brain to make new neural connections due to increased oxygen flow, all to the benefit of our memory.

So, how much exercise do we need to help improve memory? the CDC suggests about 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week of moderate exercise is the ticket.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Good Fat

Omega 3 fatty acids have many beneficial properties and we have written about them in previous posts. In terms of improving our memory, Omega 3 fatty acids are plentiful in foods like mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil (yuck), oysters, sardines, and flax seed. How do they help improve memory? They do so by helping to reduce inflammation in the brain, lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and regulate the release of serotonin and dopamine–those brain messengers that give us feelings of happiness, focus, and motivation. Yes, brain food is real.

Get Out Of The House

I can be a scrooge, but even I know we have to interact with other people. Positive social interaction helps to boost certain hormones called endorphins, which are released when we do things we enjoy and they increase our sense of well-being. How does this help improve memory? Well, endorphins can increase mental acuity, which in turn, helps increase learning and memory. This is a big deal. Even the Harvard School of Public Health found that people in their 50s and 60s (in other words, us) with an active social life had a slower rate of memory decline than those who were solitary. Simply having a positive conversation with someone can improve our memory, not to mention our mood and self-esteem.

So how much social interaction are we talking about here? A friendly hello to a neighbor or a casual conversation with a friend or family member can be effective even when it is less than 10 minutes long. Even better, try laughing with a friend or family member.

You Can Move Your Lips While You Read

It turns out that reading text aloud can help improve memory. The University of Waterloo calls it the production effect. They conducted a study and found that the combination of speaking and hearing text had a profound effect on improving memory. Researchers found that people who read out loud remembered almost half of the words they read, as compared to the 10% of words they read silently.

Reading aloud to others can also help build bonds with others and improved cognitive function. This ties back to socialization and allows us to kill two birds with one stone, as it were.

Brain Teasers For $200, Alex

Yes, I know Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik are the new Jeopardy! hosts. Using brain games to improve memory can be a fun and rewarding way to stay sharp. They can help sharpen mental processing, increase short-term memory, improve decision-making, and strengthen cognitive skills. Some of the best choices are crossword puzzles, chess, Sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles. You might be surprised to learn that games like charades or Pictionary are good too, as they require multi-tasking.

Companies like CogniFit and Luminosity provide brain games and web services. Most of the online commercial options are based on scientific studies, and offer a battery of tests designed to test memory, problem solving, and language skills. You can try out the free versions of the services, or opt for monthly subscriptions for more in-depth features. Better Life After 50 has no affiliate relationship with any of the services.

As always, we hope readers of Better Life After 50 find this information helpful and we welcome your comments and questions. Please feel free to leave your feedback below.

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