It's no secret that most people experience a decline in cognitive health as they age. Memory loss is one of the unfortunate effects of this.But, we can take steps to prevent or slow memory loss and work to maintain and improve brain health. And this is beneficial at every age – who wouldn't love to have a sharper memory, whether you're 29 or 89?This blog post will discuss the factors that lead to memory loss and the lifestyle habits that help prevent it. We'll also share 20 fun activities to boost your memory!

• Reduced blood flow and oxygen to the brain
• A decrease in dendritic synapses or loss of synaptic plasticity 
• Declining levels of dopamine and serotonin
• The brain shrinking in volume
• Inflammation and oxidative stress

When it comes to memory loss, it's important to remember that some degree of forgetfulness is perfectly normal. For example, people of all ages can forget a person's name or where they put their car keys from time to time.

So, exercises and activities to improve memory can be helpful at any age - it's never too early to start!

Our memory is a function of our cognitive health and includes:

• how we use our memory
• the amount of information we're able to store
• our ability to access that information
• our ability to use that information effectively

Memory is vital to living a full and vibrant life. You want to be able to remember the directions to get to your favorite restaurant or recall the details of a loved one's wedding. 

While it may be unrealistic to hope to preserve every memory 100% as you age, memory loss becomes an issue when it interferes with your ability to complete necessary tasks, stay safe, and remain mentally healthy and active.

In addition, sleep disturbances, medication side effects, and long-term alcohol misuse can all affect memory. As you can see, the list of factors that could cause or contribute to memory loss is quite lengthy. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's vital to visit a doctor or health professional early on if you're noticing symptoms of memory loss so you can get a prompt diagnosis. Knowing the underlying causes can help them recommend the best care, treatment, and options for you.

• Maintain a healthy diet: Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid processed foods high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt. It's essential to eat antioxidant-rich foods. In addition, consuming fish and seafood may be protective and reduce the risk of stroke.
• Moderate alcohol intake: Consume alcohol in moderation or not at all since alcohol misuse directly contributes to memory loss. Moderate alcohol intake for healthy adults is up to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
• Get enough sleep: Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression – all of which can impact cognitive function and diminish memory function.
• Manage stress: Stressful life events can lead to forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. Managing stress through relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, tai chi, or deep breathing exercises can help improve memory and cognitive function.
• Stay mentally and socially active: Engage in mentally stimulating activities like puzzles, reading, playing games, and learning new things. Also, be sure you join groups and look for opportunities to interact with other people. You can sign up for a class, participate in a volunteer project, or regularly socialize with friends and family. Social interaction helps keep the brain active and engaged and boosts feel-good hormones.

• Play an Instrument or Join a Choir. Playing a musical instrument can help improve memory due to the amount of practice and memorization required. Like art, music also engages both hemispheres of the brain. In addition, playing with others in a band or orchestra can also help to improve socialization and memory. Music supports brain health at every age.
• Take Up a New Hobby. Hobbies are a great way to keep your mind active and engaged. They can be anything from stamp collecting to bird watching. The important thing is that it's something you enjoy doing and keeps your brain active. Also, trying something brand new will fire up more neural pathways and help you develop new skills.
• Practice a New Sport or Form of Exercise. Physical exercise not only helps improve your physical health, but it can also help improve your mental health. When you're active, your body releases endorphins which have been shown to boost cognitive function and memory. Golf, pickleball, bowling, Pilates, yoga, or dance are just a start when it comes to great options for physical activity.
• Read and Discuss. There is a lot of information to consume these days. Whether you read print books or listen to audiobooks, reading is an excellent activity for your brain in and of itself. But when you discuss what you've read with someone else, it forces you to think about the concepts and ideas presented in the text to help improve retention.
• Work With Your Hands. Improve fine motor skills by taking up activities like knitting, crocheting, quilting, or woodworking. These activities not only help improve dexterity and hand-eye coordination but help you focus on pattern recognition and recall steps to a process.
• Become a Video Gamer. Computer-based or digital games may boost your skills in more ways than one – and keep you up to date on the latest trends. A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that older adults who received 15 1-hour training sessions with a series of video games showed enhancements in visuospatial working memory, episodic memory, and short-term memory. Many apps and video games are specifically created to be brain training games.