When I was young, I decided not to remember numbers, except for my phone number and address, of course. Didn't want to clutter up my brain. Big mistake! The more numbers you memorize, the more neurons your brain creates to perform that task. My husband took the opposite tack, and he can tell you the number of every place he's gone to that day for his job as a professional driver. The more your brain is exercised, the better it gets, whether you're young or old. The following research shows that brain training can improve seniors' memory as long as five years later:

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2006/nia-19.htm

     Now, frankly, more research needs to be done on exactly which mind exercises are most helpful. But current thinking is that brain exercises are like body exercises: it pays to exercise different parts of your brain in different ways.

15 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN SHARP

     These habits have been shown through research to raise subjects’ brains to a higher level of operation:

http://selfpursuit.com/34/increase-brain-activity/

     At SHARPBRAINS.COM, you can find out about "the emerging field of science-based brain fitness," along with brain teasers:

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2006/09/29/
brain-exercise-games-frontal-and-parietal-lobes/

     And, when you click on COGNITIVE-NEUROSCIENCE you find out about the latest research:

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/category/cognitive-neuroscience/

NINE SIMPLE HABITS THAT CAN BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER

     The AARP has, of course, the latest discoveries in keeping our minds sharp longer. After all, if we go ga-ga prematurely, we’ll let our AARP subscriptions lapse, and then where would they be? Here are AARP’s tips on Boosting Your Brainpower, click:

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/stay_sharp_longer.html

     The AARP has more in its “Staying Sharp” section, including recent advances in brain research. Here’s the address:

http://www.aarp.org/health/brain/program/