London - Want to keep your brain lively in old age? Try using a computer - after going for a brisk hike.
Combining mentally stimulating activities with physical activity cuts the risk of memory loss more than doing either activity alone, a study has found.
Previous research has suggested that exercising the body through pursuits such as swimming will help memory, as will intellectual activities from crosswords to playing cards.
But the US study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, concluded that doing the two things together has greater benefits in “protecting” brain function as we age.
Study author Dr Yonas Geda, of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, found that computer use was the most popular mind-stretching activity among the over-70s questioned. - Daily Mail