Forgot the kids' names? Kick-start your mind

updated 12:23 p.m. ET May 9, 2009

According to a recent study, age-related mental decline starts in your late twenties. Mental functions like reasoning, mental speed, and puzzle-solving are the first to go — as early as age 27 and memory loss starts to kick in around age 37.  

While you can't argue with science, there are some surprising tricks to stay sharp. Women’s Health has some brain boosters that will jump-start your memory and keep your mind in shape. 

One great way to keep your mind in shape is to try new activities that you’ve never done before.

• These can be movement related like taking line dancing, even though you took ballet as a child. Or maybe a hip-hop class at the gym. Positioning different parts of your body simultaneously and in synchronicity and moving along to the music are great for mental stimulation.
  
  
• Singing is also great, but not in the shower and not songs you know by heart. Try challenging yourself by doing Karaoke with your friends (some places have really small rooms for 2 or 4 people) and singing songs you don’t know. If you listen to R&B, sing country. You’ll have lots of laughs and boost your brainpower!
  
  
• New foods and smells are also great brain boosters. Try taking a cooking class or a wine-tasting class. You could also go to a restaurant that serves a cuisine you’ve never tried before. Other fun activities that can stimulate your sense of smell are candle or soap making classes.

You can also keep your mind in shape by eating certain foods or taking a DHA/EPA supplement.

• Two brain foods we recommend at Women’s Health are blueberries and eggs.
  
  
• Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that have been linked to better memory.
  
  
• Eggs contain B vitamins, which enable the nerve cells to burn glucose, your brain's major energy source; antioxidants, which protect neurons against damage; and omega-3 fatty acids, which keep nerve cells firing at optimal speed.
  
  
• A supplement to help boost your memory is the omega-3 supplement DHA/EPA, which are the fats in fish oil.  You'd want to take this supplement if you think you're not getting enough of it in your diet, for example if you don't eat fish.
  

Another easy way to sharpen your wits is to read or play games. 

• A study by the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago reports that people who regularly read magazines, newspapers, and books, play games, go to museums, and do other cognitive activities like nightly crossword puzzles decrease their risk of brain degeneration.
  
  
• The mental stimulation creates new connections between brain cells.
  
  
• So dust off an old board game, take time to read the newest issue of Women’s Health or do a crossword puzzle on your commute home.
  
  
• If you’re into gadgets, there are also fun games on the market you can buy. 
  
  
• Brain Age 2 for Nintendo DS assesses your baseline brain age and then let’s you choose from 15 different puzzles and games. The program is based on theories of a Japanese neuroscientist who maintains that the brain needs to be trained and toned just like any other muscle.
  
  
• Brain Games is based on the research of Gary Small, M.D. and the Semel Institute Memory Research Center.  The handheld device features five games—sequence, flash card, mind games, word hunt, and recall—and six levels of difficulty.

Another great way to boost your memory is using tricks to remember things like names, lists, and phone numbers.  Here are two great tricks for remembering names and long lists:

Names

• It doesn’t matter how food you are at remembering things, even the best experts can forget information if it is delivered too quickly.
  
  
• So control the flow of information.
  
  
• If you’re being introduced to a large group of people, pause at the third person.
  
  
• Comment on her name, outfit or resemblance to some celebrity.
  
  
• As others join the banter, mentally review the names of the other two people you just met.  Repeat with every third person you meet.

Long lists

• Mental lists can dissolve when you’re faced with many choices. So if you walk into a grocery store without a list, chances are you’ll forget something you came for.
  
  
• To boost your memory, visualize each option. 
  
  
• The more unusual the image, the more easily the information can be recalled.
  
  
• Imagine your favorite hottie actor holding the milk in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other, wearing nothing but boxer briefs made out of your favorite cereal.
  
  
• We know it may sound bizarre, but it’s definitely effective for remembering long lists and boosting your brain.

More in health Swine flu: Latest news and information Video: Tooth helps blind woman regain sight Showerheads may be spraying out bacteria Joy Fit Club: How they lost 100 lbs

More from TODAY Makeover! She was bullied into cutting her hair  Treatment improving burned triplets’ scars | Images Six foods that take a bite out of the flu ‘Loser’: A player’s past choices haunt her   Images: Unlikely animal pals: Pig and tiger, more

MORE FROM HEALTH

Health Section Front

New treatment improving burned triplets’ scars   How to keep your memory sharp   How to handle stress   Expert advice on health, exercise   Outrage grows over Wall Street’s flu vaccines Amid shortage, big NYC firms get swine vaccine 6 foods that take a bite out of the flu   Joy answers your diet questions Chill: A little stress may help you live longer ‘Biggest Loser’s’ Abby: ‘Happiness is a choice’ Health Section Front   Add Health headlines to your news reader: