Also: Using diet and exercise to keep your memory in good shape

Tips to get the most from your memory As you've gotten older, have you noticed that you often find yourself marching around the house in a huff, searching for misplaced car keys or eyeglasses, or you just cannot remember the name of that new neighbor you met when walking the dog? It's frustrating, to be sure, but not inevitable — and there are things you can do to help keep your memory sharp. "Most people get a little more forgetful with aging, but there are some simple things you can do to prevent memory slips and help your brain to learn and remember better," says Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Get your copy of Improving Memory By age 60, more than half of adults have concerns about their memory. However, minor memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs of a serious problem, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the brain. This report describes these normal age-related changes and other more serious causes of memory loss — and how to distinguish between them. Memory-boosting tips Dr. Fabiny suggests the following tips and tricks: Follow routines, such as leaving your car keys, glasses, and cell phone in the same place every day so that finding them becomes a "no-brainer." Slow down and pay attention to what you are doing to give your brain's memory systems enough time to create an enduring memory. Avoid distracting or noisy environments and multitasking — the major memory busters in today's fast-paced society. Get enough sleep, reduce stress, and check with your doctor to see if any of your medications affect memory — all three are potential memory spoilers. Is it forgetfulness or Alzheimer's? Worried that your minor memory slips mean you are headed toward Alzheimer's disease? That's probably not the case. Like it or not, science shows that the ability to learn new information and recall it may decline somewhat after 50. "You just can't pull things out of your memory the way you used to at the same speed," Dr. Fabiny says. But forgetfulness can be a serious issue if it's starting to interfere with daily tasks and routines, such as managing your healthcare and finances. To read more about ways to improve your memory, buy Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Use everyday habits to keep your memory in good shape Your daily habits and lifestyle — what you eat and drink, whether you exercise, how stressed you are, and more — affect your mental health every bit as much as your physical health. A growing body of research indicates that regular exercise and a healthful diet can help protect your memory from aging-related decline. Exercise Physical fitness and mental fitness go together. People who exercise regularly tend to stay mentally sharp into their 70s, 80s, and beyond. Although the precise "dose" of exercise isn't known, research suggests that the exercise should be moderate to vigorous and regular. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, stationary bicycling, water aerobics, and competitive table tennis. Vigorous activities include jogging, high-impact aerobic dancing, square dancing, and tennis. Exercise helps memory in several ways. It reduces the risk of developing several potentially memory-robbing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Exercise is good for the lungs, and people who have good lung function send more oxygen to their brains. There is some evidence that exercise helps build new connections between brain cells and improves communication between them. Finally, exercise has been linked to increased production of neurotrophins, substances that nourish brain cells and help protect them against damage from stroke and other injuries. Here are some ways to build physical activity into your daily routine: Walk instead of driving when possible. Set aside time each day for exercise. For extra motivation, ask your spouse or a friend to join you. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Plant a garden and tend it. Take an exercise class or join a health club. Swim regularly, if you have access to a pool or beach. Learn a sport that requires modest physical exertion, such as tennis. Go Mediterranean Mediterranean-type diets highlight whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats from fish, nuts, and healthy oils. This eating style helps promote heart health and may also lessen the risk of memory and thinking problems later in life. In a study that followed more than 2,000 people over four years, those who most closely followed a Mediterranean-type diet had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. A later study suggested that following a Mediterranean-type diet could slow the conversion of mild cognitive impairment into full-blown dementia. The types of fat that predominate in the diet also seem to affect memory. As part of the national Women's Health Initiative, 482 women ages 60 and older were observed for three years. They reported on their diets, and researchers tested their memory and thinking skills at the beginning of the study and at the end. Those who ate more unsaturated fat (which is abundant in vegetable oils and fatty fish) and less saturated fat (from red meat and full-fat dairy foods) had significantly less decline in memory than those who ate relatively little unsaturated fat. Eating several servings of fruits and vegetables can also protect memory. Foods from plants are chock full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that may protect against age-related deterioration throughout the body. For more information on diagnosing memory problems and boosting your memory, buy Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Featured in this issue Improving Memory Featured content: • What is memory? • How we remember • Forgetting: What's normal? • How memory changes with age • Memory impairment: Normal aging or brain disease? •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. 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