Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Kiplinger logoLink to homepage
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Save up to 76%
Subscribe
Subscribe to Kiplinger
  • Store
  • Home
  • Investing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Personal Finance
  • Your Business
  • Wealth Creation
  • More
    • Podcasts
    • Economic Outlooks
    • Tools
  • My Kiplinger
    • Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
    • The Kiplinger Letter
    • The Kiplinger Tax Letter
    • Kiplinger's Investing for Income
    • Kiplinger's Retirement Report
    • Store
    • Manage My E-Newsletters
    • My Subscriptions
  • Home
  • retirement
Healthy Living on a Budget

6 Super-Agers' Secrets to Keeping Your Brain Sharp

by: Eleanor Laise
February 14, 2019

Getty Images

If you’re reading this while pedaling a stationary bike, sipping a blueberry smoothie and chatting with your gym buddies, congratulations: You just might become a “super ager.”

Super agers are seniors who have cognitive abilities comparable to people decades younger. And a growing body of research suggests that we can all boost our odds of joining their ranks by tweaking our daily habits and rethinking our views on aging.

Physical exercise, intellectual challenges, strong friendships and a healthy diet can all help protect an aging brain, studies show. But it’s not just about crossword puzzles and leafy greens. Read on to discover the secrets of the super agers.

1 of 6

Have a Positive Mindset

Getty Images

Do you view the aging process as fixed and inevitable, or do you believe that everyone ages differently—and that your own aging process could be quite positive? Those who view aging as fixed tend to perform poorly on memory tests when confronted with negative age stereotypes, while those with more flexible views perform better, according to David Weiss of the University of Leipzig, whose research focuses on psychology and aging.

Negative age stereotypes are “all around us,” Weiss says. But “there’s no homogeneous aging trajectory. It’s so different from person to person.” In his research, people who subscribe to that more malleable view of aging “put more effort into the task to show that they don’t conform” to the stereotypes, he says.

It’s important to “become aware of the power of our attitudes and beliefs,” Weiss says. “Our mindsets have a strong impact on how we are aging.”

  • 38 States That Don't Tax Social Security Benefits

2 of 6

Make Friends

Getty Images

Strong friendships may be key to protecting the brain in later life. Studies show that “there are a lot of negative consequences to loneliness and positive consequences of staying socially active and engaged,” says Emily Rogalski, associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

That doesn’t mean lifelong introverts need to become social butterflies. The positive effects of staying engaged could come through a large group of friends or just a single close relationship, Rogalski says. “Different neurotransmitters are released when we feel compassion, empathy, love and friendship,” she says. Chronic stress, on the other hand, can negatively affect parts of the brain important for memory. Simply calling up a friend, she says, may be good for your brain.

  • 33 States with No Estate Taxes or Inheritance Taxes

3 of 6

Stay in Shape

Getty Images

Physical exercise is also critical to brain health as you age. “There are new synapses, or connections between neurons, that happen as a result of exercise,” says Art Kramer, professor of neuroscience and psychology at Northeastern University. People who do more aerobic exercise, such as walking and biking, tend to have better memory and problem-solving skills and lower rates of dementia, he says.

In one study, Kramer and his colleagues found that aerobic walkers tended to increase the volume of their hippocampus—an area of the brain associated with memory—while people doing only toning and stretching exercises experienced normal age-related declines in hippocampus volume.

For many people, of course, the hardest part of exercise is getting started. “You can’t tell somebody who has been a professional couch potato to start doing triathlons,” Kramer acknowledges. His advice: Start with something you enjoy. “You can walk, ride your bike, go to a gym, play a sport,” he says. “Just do something, and lots of positive things can happen.”

4 of 6

Train Your Brain

Getty Images

The brain needs exercise, too. And the vast selection of “brain games” on the market suggests that seniors have bought in to that concept in a big way. But there’s no magic in any particular intellectual exercise, Rogalski says. The key is finding something that interests and challenges you.

“If you hate crossword puzzles and they create angst, I’d suggest not doing them,” Rogalski says. Choose something that’s new, enjoyable and stimulating to you, she advises—“the sky’s the limit.” Perhaps you could take a photography course or learn to play an instrument. “Our brain likes to be challenged, and that’s what helps strengthen connections between brain cells,” she says.

5 of 6

Eat Well

You knew this was coming: Stick to a healthy diet. The MIND diet, developed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Harvard University, may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, research shows.

The MIND diet is “like the Mediterranean diet, but on steroids,” Kramer says. It focuses on 10 “brain-healthy” food groups, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, poultry, berries, olive oil and fish. And it limits butter, sweets and pastries, red meat, whole-fat cheese and fried or fast food.

For more information, search “MIND diet” at rush.edu, or read Diet for the MIND by Rush University nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris (Little, Brown & Co., $28.)

  • 6 Ways Retirement Has Changed Over the Past 25 Years

6 of 6

Focus on Factors You Can Control

Getty Images

Let’s face it: Some factors that may contribute to brain health in our later years are beyond our control. Researchers at Northwestern University, for example, have found that super agers often have a large number of “von Economo” neurons—a special type of brain cell. The role of these neurons is not yet clear, Rogalski says.

We also can’t control all of life’s sucker punches—the serious illnesses, job losses, deaths of loved ones, and other challenges. But we can strive to be resilient—and that’s a common trait of super agers, Rogalski says. “These individuals didn’t necessarily have easy lives. They’ve had traumatic experiences,” she says. But they “tend to do a very good job of finding the silver lining.”

  • Are You Really Ready to Retire? 8 Steps to a Happy Retirement
  • Healthy Living on a Budget
  • health insurance
  • retirement
Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Recommended

What the Democrats' Agenda Will Mean for Your Pocketbook
Politics

What the Democrats' Agenda Will Mean for Your Pocketbook

With President Joe Biden in the White House and a narrow Democratic majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, Democrats have a clearer path…
January 30, 2021
12 Ways the Biden Stimulus Package Could Put (or Keep) Money in Your Pocket
Coronavirus and Your Money

12 Ways the Biden Stimulus Package Could Put (or Keep) Money in Your Pocket

President Biden's "American Rescue Plan" includes several proposals to assist people financially harmed by the pandemic.
January 20, 2021
Jim Patterson on The Kiplinger Letter’s 2021 Forecasts
Economic Forecasts

Jim Patterson on The Kiplinger Letter’s 2021 Forecasts

What to expect from the U.S. economy, the new Congress and next administration, as well as the outlook for bitcoin, self-driving trucks and more.
January 19, 2021
What You'll Pay for Medicare in 2021
Healthy Living on a Budget

What You'll Pay for Medicare in 2021

For Medicare premiums 2021, look for modest increases in premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
December 16, 2020

Most Popular

House Approves $3,000 Child Tax Credit for 2021
Coronavirus and Your Money

House Approves $3,000 Child Tax Credit for 2021

The proposal would temporarily increase the child tax credit to $3,000 or $3,600 per child for most families and have 50% of it paid in advance by the…
February 27, 2021
Third Stimulus Checks Are One Step Closer to Reality – How Much Will You Get?
Coronavirus and Your Money

Third Stimulus Checks Are One Step Closer to Reality – How Much Will You Get?

The House passed President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. While the bill faces hurdles in the Senate, the provisions authorizing another roun…
February 27, 2021
2021 Child Tax Credit Calculator
Tax Breaks

2021 Child Tax Credit Calculator

See how much money you would get in advance if President Biden's $3,000-per-child tax credit plan is enacted (it was just passed by the House and is n…
February 27, 2021
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us (PDF)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Kiplinger Careers
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Save up to 76%Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Dennis Publishing Ltd logoLink to Dennis Publishing Ltd website
Do Not Sell My Information

The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., is part of the Dennis Publishing Ltd. Group.
All Contents © 2021, The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Follow us on InstagramFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect on LinkedInConnect on YouTube