How To Improve Your Memory After 50: Expert Tips That Keep Your Brain Sharp
Plus learn how to tell typical signs of aging apart from early symptoms of dementia
We’ve all walked into a room and forgotten why we came in or blanked on an acquaintance’s name. These little blips or bouts of brain fog are a normal part of aging and can be triggered by everything from hormone shifts during menopause to not getting enough sleep to taking certain medications like antihistamines. Fortunately, there are easy ways to improve your brain function both in the moment and over time. Here we reveal how to improve your memory with pro tips.
What’s considered normal brain aging?
“Starting in our 40s and 50s, several biological processes appear to shift in the brain,” explains Kaitlin Casaletto, PhD, a board-certified neuropsychologist and associate professor in the department of neurology at the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. “This includes greater inflammation, disruption to the brain’s vascular system, which provides oxygen and nutrients to the brain, and a breakdown of myelin, the fatty sheaths that insulate parts of our brain cells to facilitate fast communication.”
Woman's World Answers
Key regions of the brain’s memory centers—such as the hippocampus—can also shrink with age. “The most common symptoms in ‘normal aging’ are word and name finding difficulties, general slowness in thinking and difficulties holding multiple pieces of information in mind, such as walking into a room and forgetting why,” says Casaletto.
But if you notice more significant disruptions to your daily routine, you’ll want to check in with your doctor about your memory function and overall health, advises Jessica Zwerling, MD, a neurologist and professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. (Learn more about how to spot the difference between forgetfulness and dementia here.)
How to improve your memory over time
“We are increasingly learning we can control much more of our brain health destinies than previously thought,” says Casaletto. “Brain health prevention starts in midlife, which is why it’s important to participate in activities during this time and throughout your life to keep your brain sharp well into your golden years.” Here, simple, natural tricks that improve your memory.
Take a multivitamin
You already know how important it is to eat a healthy diet. But even minor shortfalls in key brain nutrients such as vitamins B-12, C, D, zinc, calcium and magnesium can affect memory function. “When you’re not getting the adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, it can make thinking harder,” says Casaletto.
But simply taking a multivitamin daily can fill in those nutrient gaps and improve your memory. The proof: A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that older adults who took a multivitamin daily for one year improved their memory so effectively that it was like taking off more than three years of brain aging. The supplement used in the study: Centrum Silver Adults 50+.
Visit a friend
Research in The Lancet Healthy Longevity found that socially interacting with friends and family and participating in group activities with others on a weekly basis slows cognitive decline, specifically when it comes to memory and language. These social connections can be fostered by playing board games with the family, joining a book club or playing pickleball with friends.
Strong social networks keep you engaged, stimulate your brain and act as exercise for your memory and language skills. Another plus: Bonding with others lowers stress, which University of Alabama at Birmingham research has linked to memory trouble.
Enjoy a tuna melt
A beneficial type of omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA is found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines, anchovies and mackerel. The “friendly fat” helps the cells in your body function properly, including those in our brain. “You want your brain cells to be high in DHA, since the brain is mostly composed of it,” says Ken Sharlin, MD, a board-certified neurologist at SharlinHealth and Neurology, his private practice in Ozark, Missouri, and author of The Healthy Brain Toolbox.
The benefits of upping your intake: A study in Neurology found that older adults who regularly ate cold-water fish and foods high in omega-3s had increased volume in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that plays a role in learning and memory. They also had better logical thinking skills, or the ability to analyze a situation and come up with a solution.
Aim for two servings of fish (about 4 oz. each, or the size of a deck of cards) a week. Not a seafood lover? Consider a fish oil supplement with 1,000 mg of omega-3s daily instead. One to try: Solaray Super Omega 3-7-9.
Switch off the GPS
Remember learning to drive before Google Maps? A Harvard Medical School study suggests that challenging yourself to navigate from memory—using landmarks rather than GPS apps—may help protect against cognitive decline. Researchers investigating Alzheimer’s rates across 443 occupations found people whose jobs required regular route-finding, like taxi and ambulance drivers, were up to two times less likely to die from Alzheimer’s. Frequently using your brain for navigation may help preserve the brain’s memory centers.
Do a puzzle
“The brain loves learning new things, so I recommend novelty as a general principle when thinking about boosting brain health,” says Casaletto. For instance, instead of playing Wordle every day, mix it up and take up Sudoku or start doing jigsaw puzzles to improve your memory. Research has shown the brain only makes new connections when you’re tasked to learn something new, she says.
Not into games or puzzles? Trying a new hobby like knitting or changing up your routine can provide the same benefits. That can mean taking a different route to the store or striking up a conversation with a new person in a supermarket checkout line.
Get lost in a good book
Reading is one of the most relaxing ways to strengthen your memory. A study in Frontiers in Psychology of adults aged 60 to 79 found those who read leisurely for 90 minutes a day, five days a week, significantly improved their memory within two months. The researchers found reading improves both working memory, the kind needed to reason and problem solve, and episodic memory, the kind needed to retrieve long-term memories of life events, by keeping your mind active as it follows along the storyline.
Wind down at night
Set a gentle alarm for an hour before your usual bedtime to remind yourself to unplug, dim the lights and start winding down. This simple cue helps prep your body for better sleep, improving your memory in the process. Sleep helps clear out harmful toxins in the brain that can trigger memory loss. Indeed, a large Harvard study found that participants who slept more than five hours a night had half the risk of developing dementia compared to those who slept less.
Bike around the block
According to the CDC, cognitive decline is almost twice as common in people who aren’t active compared to those who are. Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain, especially to two key regions linked to memory, report researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Their one-year study of people 60 and older who were at risk for dementia found those who engaged in 12 months of aerobic exercise showed a 47 percent improvement in memory scores compared to those who simply stretched.
And you don’t need to run a marathon to get the benefits. Biking around the block, taking a brisk stroll or simply dancing around the house will do the trick. Bonus: Even a brief burst of activity can strengthen your memory. A study in the journal PNAS found just one 10-minute period of low-intensity stationary bike pedaling increased activity in the brain’s memory-managing hippocampus.
Bonus: A study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that increasing physical activity in midlife lowers levels of beta-amyloid protein, a marker of Alzheimer’s. And even a small uptick in movement made a difference. Study participants who simply avoided being sedentary showed thicker brain structures in regions most susceptible to Alzheimer’s, even without hitting official exercise targets.
Scent your bedroom
It may sound strange, but inhaling the aroma of essential oils for just two hours while you sleep strengthens your memory, according to a study in Frontiers in Neuroscience. People ages 60 to 85 used an aromatherapy diffuser that rotated between a different scent each night, including rosemary, peppermint, lemon, orange, lavender, rose and eucalyptus. After six months, those who smelled the scents performed 226 percent better on a memory test than those who didn’t practice aromatherapy.
Your sense of smell is directly connected to your memory circuits. So when your ability to smell fades with age, it can make it harder to access memories. But allowing uninterrupted time to smell the gentle aromas improves the pathways connecting your olfactory system and memory circuits.
How to improve your memory instantly
Need a quick brain boost? Try these simple strategies to supercharge your memory function fast.
Try the “point and call” trick
Researchers found a clever “point and call” hack that helps if you’re prone to walking into a room and forgetting why. Simply point in the direction you’re heading (like toward the kitchen) and say aloud the action you’re about to perform (such as, “I’m turning on the coffee maker”). This aligns your thoughts with your body, boosting short-term memory.
Sniff a pencil
A study in Human-Computer Interaction found sniffing objects associated with childhood, like an old hardcover book or a wooden pencil, unlocks memory centers of the brain better than looking at photos. So when you’re blanking on details of a long-ago event, try this: Grab an item associated with the moment (like vanilla extract that reminds you of baking with Grandma), close your eyes and breathe it in as you think about the memory. Your memory will quickly snap back into focus.
Stand tall
If you can’t remember the details of your last family vacation, sit or stand tall. Adjusting your posture can help you recall positive memories, reports a San Francisco State University study. Researchers found 87 percent of people who sat erect with their shoulders pulled back found it easier to access positive memories than those who slouched. Being upright allows you to breathe better so you get more oxygen into your brain, improving memory-boosting blood flow.
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