Over 40? Boost Your Memory With 9 Simple Exercises Today

Read out loud

A 2025 research article published inScience Advancesdiscovered that adults who often utilized their reading and writing abilities did not experience the usual cognitive decline associated with aging. These results supportprevious researchindicating that reading even once or twice a week can provide lasting benefits for the brain, irrespective of one's educational background.

Want to push this mental exercise to the next level? Studies published in the journalMemorydiscovered that vocalizing text can enhance long-term retention. This advantage probably arises from activating several mental functions simultaneously: articulation, auditory perception, and information comprehension.

Repeat, pause, repeat

As we progress into middle age, our brains may experience a decline in their ability to quickly form new memories. This is one explanation for why a new colleague's name or directions to a restaurant you wish to visit might not remain as clear as they once did.

Studies indicate that for brains in midlife, consistent exposure is essential for improving memory retention. In one study published inFrontiers in Psychology, individuals who looked at pairs of images three times recalled them more effectively than those who saw them only once—and this was true not only after 10 minutes, but also after one day and even one week. Otherresearchhas shown heightened activity in the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for forming memories, in individuals who viewed images six times compared to those who saw them only once. Distributing learning by reviewing information over several hours or days demonstrates greater effectiveness.

Use a mnemonic device

A mnemonic deviceis a tool for remembering, like an acronym or a rhyme, that makes it simpler to recall information by forming mental shortcuts. These are particularly useful when you have to remember lists or detailed information.

Our planet is filled with them. For example, the BRAT Diet consists of bland foods typically advised for a troubled stomach: bananas, rice, applesauce, and bread. RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is another well-known method that assists medical students in recalling the proper approach to treating soft-tissue injuries.

Mnemonics don't necessarily need to be acronyms. You might use rhymes, such as "Leaflets three; let it be," to assist in recognition.poison ivy) or mental images (such as visualizing a child having a tantrum with bananas, applesauce, rice, and toast to recall the BRAT diet).

Enlist your “memory palace”

Another kind of memory aid, called the "method of loci" or "mental journey," requires imagining a well-known physical area—such as your house—and mentally positioning the information you want to recall inside it. A 2025 review published inThe British Journal of Psychologystates that this method can greatly improve memory retention by linking new information to well-known locations that hold personal or emotional significance, thus making the details simpler to remember later.

One studyshows how this technique can be applied in practice: medical students imagined their university campus, including the dining hall, the anatomy lab, and the main gate. In each of these spots, they mentally associated the information they had to learn.diabetesand insulin. Students who adopted this method achieved higher scores on an evaluation compared to those who studied the content via a conventional lecture.

Don’t stress about stressing

Stresscan negatively affect your mood and overall wellness, but studies indicate that the level of stress you perceive—how stressed you feel—might be equally significant for brain health. In a study written with Dr.Zwerlingand her colleagues found that higher levels of perceived stress were recognized as a risk factor for a type of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

"Perceived stress serves as an indicator of decline and may influence [brain] volume loss, which is associated with memory storage," Dr. Zwerling explains. The positive aspect is that perceived stress can be changed. Methods that assist in reducing stress, including medication, exercise, andyoga, have also been associated with improved cognitive and brain health.

Stretch

Physical activityOne of the key components of brain health, just as it is for heart and general well-being. However, you don't necessarily have to engage in intense physical activity to see cognitive benefits.

In a 2025 edition ofAlzheimer’s & Dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association released results from its EXERT (Exercise in Adults with Mild Memory Problems) study, and the outcomes caught researchers off guard. Participants with mild cognitive decline were placed into either moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise or low-intensity stretching and movement activities for 18 months. Notably, both groups maintained similar levels of cognitive function throughout the period.

Neither group exhibited significant decline, which was unexpected," says Laurie Ryan, PhD, who serves as the Chief of the Dementias of Aging Branch within the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging (NIA). "Perhaps we don't require intense aerobic exercise.

That doesn't imply that aerobic exercises or strength training lack value—both continue to be closely associated with brain (and general) well-being. However, studies indicate that even milder types of physical activity can help maintain cognitive abilities over time.

Dance with others

New studies suggest ballroomdancingand various types of "social dancing" as methods to enhance executive function, a broad concept that includes planning, problem-solving, and logical thinking, along with other cognitive processes.

For instance, a 2025 research article published inDiagnosticsfound that consistent dancing was linked to a slower rate of cognitive decline and better results in executive function tests among adults. Although physical activity helps the brain adjust to aging changes, the study indicates that dancing provides extra advantages since it engages several cognitive systems simultaneously. Following dance routines, synchronizing movements, andinteracting sociallyall challenges—and, through consistent effort, enhance—core elements of executive function.

Solve a crossword puzzle

You might have come across the idea that doing a crossword puzzle each day helps keep dementia away—and research from 2022 in theNew England Journal of Medicineprovides evidence to back up the connection. The research looked at adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. It discovered that individuals who finished computerized crossword puzzles experienced a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to those who engaged in computerized cognitive games. Participants in the crossword group also saw better memory scores and less loss of brain volume.

The results caught scientists off guard, as they had anticipated that brain games would surpass crossword puzzles, according to Dr. Ryan, who is affiliated with the NIA, the group that provided funding for the research. Further investigation is required to grasp the implications, but "if these findings are confirmed in subsequent studies, it could be important."

A warning from Dr. Zwerling: if you don't enjoy crosswords, don't push yourself. The study also mentions that consistently participating in other challenging mental tasks, like playing checkers or tackling different kinds of puzzles, could also reduce your chances of developing dementia.ResearchIn 2020, it was demonstrated that engaging with the tile game, mahjong, could also be beneficial.

Learn something new

This might be a new language, a musical tool, or even the game of chess. "Regular mental exercises share certain characteristics," explainsJoe Verghese, MD, FRCPI, co-founder and director, Montefiore-Einstein Center for the Aging Brain. "These tasks are difficult, so they truly involve various"brain processes, in general, more than one: memory, attention.

Many of these activities feature increasing levels of difficulty, starting with simpler tasks and progressing to more challenging ones, allowing you to continuously engage and stimulate your brain. "I advise patients to choose activities they like so they will stick with them," says Dr. Verghese. "If you complete a crossword puzzle quickly, seek out a more difficult one."

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