How to improve your Brain power

he human brain does not automatically go into a steady decline as we age. A variety of new studies have found that simple lifestyle choices can help to keep your mind sharp throughout a lifespan. A January 2014 study from Germany found that the aging brain may work ‘slower’ as we age, but that cognitive abilities do not necessarily decline as we age.The German researchers believe that the older brain has the potential to progressively hold more and more knowledge, and wisdom, with age. The progressive increase of data may cause the older brain to process all the information a bit more slowly, but ultimately continue to become more intelligent with age.

A University of California San Francisco study from 2009 titled, “Staying Sharp: New Study Uncovers How People Maintain Cognitive Function In Old Age” also found that cognitive function doesn’t always decline with age. The researchers examined what factors made the people whose cognition stayed sharp different from those who lost some of their abilities over eight years.

"Some of these factors such as exercise and smoking are behaviors that people can change. Discovering factors associated with cognitive maintenance may be very useful in prevention strategies that guard against or slow the onset of dementia," Alexandra Fiocco, PhD, of UCSF said. "These results will also help us understand the mechanisms that are involved in successful aging."

Over the years of researching for The Athlete’s Way I have come up with four simple ways to boost brain power for your lifetime. Aerobic Exercise: People who exercise moderately to vigorously just once a week are 30 percent more likely to maintain their cognitive function than those who do not exercise at all.

Cognitive Training: Memory, reasoning, and speed-of-processing exercises create a winning combo for cognition.Don't Smoke: Non-Smokers are nearly twice as likely to stay sharp in old age as those who smoke.

Maintain Social Networks: People working, volunteering and maintaining close-knit human bonds are 24 percent more likely to maintain cognitive function in late life