6 Memory Boosters for Your Mate

En español | Is your spouse driving you nuts with “Do you know where I left my keys?” or “What’s the name of our neighbor’s daughter again?” Most of these memory lapses are normal—and have more to do with the increasing amounts of information being thrown our way than with any real cognitive decline. But they’re still frustrating for both parties involved. We’ve collected a handful of simple, discreet ways to help upgrade your partner’s memory—and your own—without anyone’s being the wiser.

Order a round

Toasting with your spouse can help keep your memory strong, a recent study shows. Just limit yourself to one or two drinks a day, researchers say.  

Be Mr. or Ms. Fix-it

Doing home repairs is great for preserving brain function and helping maintain memory, according to a Columbia University study.

Encourage a nap

A good night’s sleep increases memory, but a German study found that 45-to-90-minute naps also helped study participants retain more information.

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Live creatively

Having an artistic hobby in both middle and old age made older adults in a Mayo Clinic study 73 percent less likely to experience cognitive decline.

Watch the grands

Both of you. Just don’t do it every day: An Australian study found that babysitting five or more days a week negates its memory-boosting benefits.

Become workout buddies

A single 20-minute exercise session improved long-term memory by about 10 percent in a Georgia Institute of Technology study.

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