Your Long-Term Memory
Your long-term memory is your brain’s ability to store information over a long period of time and recall it whenever it’s needed. These memories can include events and experiences from your life, common facts and bits of information, and behavioral skills like tying your shoes. Long-term memory is closely tied to brain health, so keeping your brain healthy is the easiest way to preserve your long-term memory. Here are seven habits and exercises that help.
1. Eat Brain-Healthy Foods
A balanced diet is beneficial for your whole body, but foods with antioxidants, flavonoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins have been linked to better cognitive health because they reduce brain inflammation, protect brain cells, and boost blood flow to the brain.
Some people even choose to follow the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, incorporating regular servings of specific brain-healthy foods while avoiding or limiting the intake of other foods like red meat and processed, fried, or sugary foods.
Following the MIND diet means eating more:
- Dark, leafy greens
- Berries
- Whole grains
- Lean protein like chicken and fish
- Legumes and nuts
- Extra virgin olive oil
2. Learn Something New
You can exercise your brain by learning a new skill or hobby. Once you’ve mastered a skill, your brain doesn’t have to work that hard to do it anymore; if you want your brain to keep getting stronger, you’ll need to introduce new challenges.
You could learn a foreign language or musical instrument, take an art or cooking class, or enroll in a training course for a new type of computer software. If you can’t choose, consider learning more than one thing at a time: In a 2023 study, older adults who learned multiple new skills at once ended up with cognitive assessment scores equal to those of adults aged 35-51 years old after just three months (and equal to college undergraduates after one year).
3. Move Your Body
Regular physical activity improves your brain health by spurring positive changes in your brain, like increased oxygen and blood flow. Exercise also reduces your risk of cognitive disorders like dementia, as well as other health conditions that can contribute to poor brain health, like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Adults should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every week. You can split this into smaller daily sessions (for example, about 20 minutes per day). Remember that any type of movement counts, including dancing, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog, and even gardening or house cleaning.
If you really want to maximize your activity for brain health, consider exercising outdoors: A 2023 study found that people had better cognitive function when they took a 15-minute walk outside vs. inside.
4. Play Brain Games
Playing brain games is more than a cure for boredom. Just like how your body needs physical activity, your brain needs mental activity—challenging your mind forces it to make new connections, which helps keep it flexible and sharp. This is also called neuroplasticity. Many games require players to use attention, memory, language, spatial recognition, and executive functioning—factors known as cognitive domains, or the building blocks of brain health.
There’s a wide range of games that apply here, including card and board games, online brain-training games, word and number puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles.
5. Manage Chronic Health Conditions
Many chronic health conditions are associated with cognitive decline:
- 56% of people with dementia have hypertension
- 46% of people with dementia have heart disease and/or chronic kidney disease
- 37% of people with dementia have diabetes18
- Obesity between the ages of 35-65 is associated with a 30% higher risk of dementia
By managing these conditions, you can reduce your risk of cognitive decline. If you have a chronic health condition, make sure you regularly see a healthcare provider. They can help you make a treatment plan, which may include medication, lifestyle changes, and other interventions to improve your overall health.
6. Be Social
Having a solid social network is beneficial for your brain health, reducing the risk of dementia and other chronic health conditions that can decrease brain health, like depression and heart disease. Research suggests that engaging in social activities has a protective effect on the brain, helping you maintain cognitive skills like memory and thinking.
You don’t have to be a social butterfly, either: A 2022 study of people with dementia found that even just once-weekly interactions with family, friends, or community groups slowed down the rate of cognitive decline compared to those who had no social interactions.
7. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep plays an important role in keeping your brain healthy, giving your brain time to create new memories and clear away potentially harmful toxins. Getting enough sleep also allows your brain to function sharply, helping you focus better and recall facts more quickly.
Research shows that sleep disorders have a negative effect on brain health. For example, people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a much higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Older adults are especially prone to age-related poor sleep habits, since the amount of restorative deep sleep you get each night naturally declines with age.
Your sleep needs change as you get older, but in general, most adults need seven to nine hours per night. To meet this goal, maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a peaceful sleep environment, and avoid stimulating beverages (like alcohol and caffeine) before bed.
What Causes Long-Term Memory Loss?
Many people lose a little of their long-term memory as they get older. This kind of forgetfulness is a normal part of brain aging, and while you can work to preserve as much long-term memory as possible with the above tips, some amount of memory loss will usually still happen.
However, some things can speed up memory loss or increase the severity beyond normal brain aging, including:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke
- Certain vitamin deficiencies, especially B1 (thiamin)
- Alcohol abuse disorder
- Dementia disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease1
- Chronic depression and anxiety
- Extreme stress
- Brain tumors or infections
- Chronically poor sleep
- Certain medications
If you are experiencing long-term memory loss that interferes with your daily life, contact a healthcare provider for evaluation.