Just as you exercise your body to keep in physical shape, exercising your brain can keep your memory in good mental shape as you age.

Brain exercise can be as simple as reading magazines or doing crossword puzzles.

In later life, many people become idle in their lifestyle, including a decrease in mental stimulation.

A study presented by the American Academy of Neurology, included about 200 people between the ages of 70 and 89 with mild cognitive impairmentor diagnosed memory loss, and more than 1,000 of that age with no memory problems.

The study found that during later years, social activities, reading books or magazines, playing games, participating in computer activities and doing craft activities led to a 30 to 50 percent decrease in the risk of developing memory loss compared to people who did not do these activities.

The study showed that people who watched less television were less likely to develop memory loss than those who watched more.

The findings suggest that aging does not need to be a passive process. According to the study’s author, a neuropsychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, simply engaging in brain exercise on a regular basis, can protect against future memory loss.