As we age, we must consciously remind ourselves to put information into our memory banks. Listen to Mozart. This allows faster, integrated access to more information. Exercise the body to improve the mind. An increasing cadre of researchers now believe aerobic workouts can increase everything from school performance to nerve conduction velocity.
Some studies show mixed results.
But exercise has so many other benefits that it definitely makes sense to do it. Try something new. Near the end of his life, Impressionist painter Henri Matisse revitalized his art by exchanging his brushes for scissors, which he used to create a series of brilliant paper cutouts. Such experimentation appears to be a hallmark of successful creativity, says psychologist Dean Keith Simonton, Ph.D., editor of Journal of Creative Behavior. In a study that compared creative people who burn out with those who continue to create, Simonton says, the chief difference was that the latter were constantly exposing themselves to new knowledge or techniques, in the process giving themselves a fresh start.