10 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY TRAINED - IN SHAPE

10 secrets to preserve a super memory over time!

Creative, shiny, sparkling. At any age. Maintaining mental agility and an iron memory is everyone's dream even if, unfortunately, after the mark of forty, we find ourselves having to deal with more or less frequent embarrassing defaillances: a mental vacuum, a sudden amnesia on the number of the ATM or the Pin of the mobile phone, the most absolute fog on the name of the person who is coming towards us to greet us.

Beyond age, there are many factors that can undermine the foundations of a good memory: from stress to depression, from chronic lack of sleep to an "unbalanced diet.

Find out here how to keep your memory always in perfect shape!

1 - Keep your brain trained

Scientific studies indicate that the best antidote to effectively counteract brain aging is to constantly use the "muscle-brain", because inactivity weakens it. Just as gymnastics strengthens the muscles, so mental activity strengthens the brain: meditate, read, learn to play an instrument and do crosswords and puzzle games.

2 - Exercise your body memory

The body has a very efficient memory: we can forget the name of the place of a holiday, not the taste of the food we tasted on that occasion and that we liked so much. And even if we confusedly remember the first meeting with a loved one in the past, her perfume, a detail of her face or the timbre of her voice are so impressed on us that we would recognize them instantly. Focus on one of the five senses for a few minutes each day. For example, the sense of smell: with your eyes closed, recall a perfume that is significant for you and then do the same with the other senses.

3 - Sleep well

Sleep, memory and learning are closely linked. In particular, most animals, including humans, have a hard time remembering if they sleep little; various studies have shown that sleep is essential for memory consolidation, or the conversion of memory from short to long term.

4 - Clench your fists

Clenching fists is not only synonymous with impatience or anger, but also a useful technique for the forgetful: this is revealed by a study published in Plos One. In particular, clenching the right fist would serve to memorize a list of words, squeeze the left one, to recall these words to mind. These simple movements would in fact temporarily modify the brain circuits used, activating the areas involved in the memorization processes.

5 - Exercise

A recent study suggests that exercise promotes long-term memory. The researchers hired young women who were asked to learn new words, either while pedaling on an exercise bike or after doing so. New words are learned more easily during physical exercise, while the same effect does not occur after exercise. Studies also suggest that exercise should be done at low intensity otherwise the brain is over-stimulated and the benefits of learning may be lost.

6 - Take care of your diet

Scientific research shows that some foods possess useful properties for memory, as they have beneficial anti-oxidant effects. Proper nutrition and adequate caloric intake help maintain cognitive functions and improve brain activity, thus maintaining our ability to memorize and remember efficiently for a long time. Among the foods not to be missed: large sea fish, nuts, broccoli, citrus fruits and tomatoes.

7 - Give yourself some time

Memory is fragile in the short term, and distractions quickly make you forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoiding losing this information before internalizing it is to focus on it for a few moments without thinking about anything else, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions or do complex actions for a few minutes.

8 - Repeat out loud

Say the things you want to remember aloud. For example, if you have trouble remembering if you turned off the light before going out, say aloud "I turned off the light!" right after you do, to reinforce the concept in your mind. This also works when you meet a new person and don't want to forget their name, just repeat it: "Hi Matteo, nice to meet you".

9 - Smell the rosemary

Studies seem to indicate that the scent of rosemary improves memory abilities. Take a sprig of this aromatic herb with you or smell some rosemary oil once a day. Just think that even the ancient Greeks put a sprig of rosemary behind their ears on the day of an exam to strengthen their memory!

10 - Laugh often and willingly

Laughter activates many parts of the brain, including those responsible for long-term memory. Laughing is even more beneficial if there are other people involved. Some studies suggest that socializing with friends, relatives and even pets slows the pace of age-related brain decline.

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