One of the biggest fears people have about growing older, if not the biggest fear, is losing their cognitive ability.  Slacking physical abilities takes a distant second place with eeryone I have talked to, and everything I have read.  Apparently it is possible to stay young mentally, even as the physical body ages and isn’t what it used to be.

Keeping the brain active is the key to keeping the brain young and alert.  Simple changes to the way you live your life can affect this more than you might imagine.  

“We’ve known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important,” said lead investigator, Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. “The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function.”
Medical News Today

Hang on to those crossword puzzles!  They might do for you than just pass the time - they may make you smarter as you age. 

Simple Lifestyle Changes May Improve Cognitive Function And Brain Efficiency