(HealthDay News) — Challenging your brain helps keep you sharp and preserve memory as you age. So just as you exercise your body, take time to exercise your brain.

The American Academy of Family Physicians reminds seniors to:

• Play online games designed to sharpen memory.
• Play board games and puzzles, such as crosswords and Sudoku.
• Memorize to-do lists, or write down and memorize lyrics to a new song.
• Draw maps of routes you take regularly.
• Read a book.
• Do daily activities in a new way, such as stirring coffee with the less-dominant hand.
• Learn a new language, hobby or musical instrument.
• Take classes that challenge you.

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