Experts recommend sticking to brain training that involves real-world activities instead. Exercises to strengthen brain function should offer novelty and challenge. “Almost any silly suggestion can work,” says David Eagleman, PhD, a neuroscientist and adjunct professor of psychology and public mental health and population sciences at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University in California. “Drive home via a different route. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. The brain works through associations, [which is why it’s easier to memorize lyrics than it is to try to remember the same words without music], so the more senses you involve, the better.”

Your morning newspaper is a great place to start. “Simple games like Sudoku and word games are good, as well as comic strips where you find things that are different from one picture to the next,” says John E. Morley, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of geriatric medicine at St. Louis University in Missouri and coauthor of The Science of Staying Young. In addition to word games, Dr. Morley recommends the following exercises to sharpen your mental skills.

1. Test your recall. Make a list — grocery items, things to do, or anything else that comes to mind — and memorize it. An hour or so later, see how many items you can recall. Make the list as challenging as possible for the greatest mental stimulation.
2. Let the music play. Learn to play a musical instrument or join a choir. Studies show that learning something new and complex over a longer period of time is ideal for the aging mind.
3. Do math in your head. Figure out problems without the aid of a pencil, paper, or computer. You can make this more difficult — and athletic — by walking at the same time.
4. Take a cooking class. Learn how to cook a new cuisine. Cooking uses a number of senses — smell, touch, sight, and taste — which involve different parts of the brain.
5. Learn a foreign language. The listening and hearing involved stimulates the brain. What’s more, a rich vocabulary has been linked to a reduced risk for cognitive decline, according to a Spanish study published in October 2014 in the journal Annals of Psychology.
6. Create word pictures. Visualize the spelling of a word in your head, and then try to think of other words that begin (or end) with the same two letters.
7. Draw a map from memory. After returning home from visiting a new place, try to draw a map of the area. Repeat this exercise each time you go somewhere new.
8. Challenge your taste buds. When eating, try to identify individual ingredients in your meal, including subtle herbs and spices.
9. Refine your hand-eye coordination. Take up a new hobby that involves fine motor skills, such as knitting, drawing, painting, or assembling a puzzle.
10. Learn a new sport. Start doing an athletic exercise that requires both mind and body, such as yoga, golf, or tennis.

Soon people will realize they can take steps to keep their brains healthy, just as they know they can prevent heart disease by taking certain actions, says Bender. “In the coming decade, I predict brain wellness to be right up there with heart health, now that there’s proof that living a brain-healthy lifestyle works!”