Slippery Memories

At age 55, I'm starting to worry when I forget my keys, or when I forget why I came upstairs. But since I've learned that worrying doesn't solve anything, I've been investigating ways to strengthen my own neural connections and make my brain sharper. What I've discovered is this: that doing more of the things I love won't really help (in my case, reading and researching) because those neural connections are already strongly embedded in the pavement of my memory highway. I need to learn new material and reinforce it. I need Math. I need to learn a new language, or play Sudoko. The trouble is, I don't enjoy these activities at all. This left me with a dilemma, until I stumbled on the website, Lumosity.com.

Lumosity is a brain training system that measures your brain power, brain processing speed, and reaction time all while you play games on the computer. The more you play, the stronger your neural connections become, and you can see your own progress. It hooked me right away. Of course, after my free trial, I had to pay for this, but I feel the price is reasonable, and the benefit it provides is apparent in my daily life. This is not a commercial or endorsement, but a suggestion to anyone who feels their mental stamina slipping as they age: take action. The earlier the better. Work your brain in a way you have not worked it before, and add more mentally sharp years to your life.