Use your head

Eat healthily Get physical Be sociable

Try anything that keeps your brain active and that you enjoy. Play board games or read a good book. Do Sudoku puzzles or crosswords or go to bingo. Why not learn another language for that foreign holiday?

The evidence

Activities that need mental energy, such as reading, playing board games, doing crosswords or Sudoku puzzles and playing games such as bingo or bridge, may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

One study found that older people who did crossword puzzles 4 days a week had a 47% lower risk than those who only did a crossword once a week.

We don’t know for sure but it is possible that such activities stimulate more brain cell connections. That might mean that if brain cells are damaged, the brain can keep working well for much longer, and the person may not show symptoms of dementia.

What should you aim at?

Try new things to keep your brain active. Carry on doing things you already enjoy that stimulate your brain.

How to achieve it

• Read magazines, newspapers and books
• Play cards or board games
• Play bingo
• Do crosswords and other puzzles
• Go to day or evening classes
• Learn a musical instrument or a language

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Eat healthily Be sociable Get physical Use your head