As we age, keeping our brains sharp is key to maintaining good quality of life. Cognitive exercises can help our brains stay healthy and avoid the deterioration that comes with age-related cognitive decline. It’s never too early to start strengthening our brains, but it’s especially important as we get older. Here are some cognitive exercises lifestyle changes to consider if you’re looking to sharpen your brain health as you age.

1. Establish a Regular Exercise Routine

Regular physical activity can improve cognitive health and can help protect against cognitive decline. Even low-intensity exercise like walking can increase blood flow to the brain and help reduce stress levels—which is important when it comes to brain health. It can also boost mood and overall physical health, which in turn can help make psychological health easier to maintain. Exercise is beneficial no matter your age, but is especially important when it comes to actively preserving brain health as you age.

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

Just as a healthy diet can help protect against physical ailments as we age, so too can it help protect our cognitive health. Eating a variety of healthy foods that contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can help keep our brains healthy. Aim for specific nutrient-rich foods to benefit brain health—include fatty fishes, nuts, vegetables high in Vitamin E, and leafy greens.

3. Mental Exercise

Crossword puzzles, sudoku, and other forms of mental stimulation are great ways to keep our brains sharp. In addition to traditional puzzles and games, there are a variety of online brain-training programs available online which can give us a fun and engaging way to practice our cognitive skills. Mental exercises like these are great for maintaining our short-term memory, and can easily be implemented into our daily routine.

4. Socialize Regularly

Socializing doesn’t just improve our moods—it can also benefit our cognitive health as we age. Keeping up relationships with family, friends, and other social circles can help protect our brains against mental decline. A good way to make sure we’re going out and socializing regularly is to plan a few activities a week with people we care about. Reconnecting with our existing support systems and even establishing new ones can be a fantastic way to preserve our cognitive health.

5. Manage Stress Levels

Finally, managing our stress levels is essential to maintaining cognitive health. Stress can cause physical and mental strain on our brains, so it’s important to find healthy ways to manage stress. That can involve everything from yoga and mindfulness-based practices to therapy and medication. Working on lowering stress levels can help us keep our brains healthy and strong.

There are a variety of ways to maintain our cognitive health as we age. Establishing a regular exercise routine, eating a healthy diet, trying mental exercises, actively socializing, and managing our stress levels are all great ways to keep our brains sharp and functioning well. Incorporating these into our daily routines now can go a long way when it comes to maintaining good brain health as we age.