True, there's no home-gym equipment designed to build up your brain muscle. But a simple walk will do. A new study shows that regular cardiovascular exercise can enlarge the hippocampus -- a brain structure vital to memory function.

 

Fit Body, Better Memory
As we age, our brains tend to shrink, and our memory can wither in the process. But a new study shows that an aerobically fit person has a larger hippocampus and performs better on spatial memory tests than a less fit subject. In the study, being more fit did not slow the rate of hippocampas shrinkage once it began, but it meant that people generally had more to work with once shrinking started. And that means less total deterioration overall. Related research suggests that exercise may even help restore lost brain volume and cognitive function in people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, possibly because exercise increases cerebral blood flow and boosts the birth of new brain cells. Here are some other cognitive-health tips to consider:

Stamp out stress. Chronic stress can be a real brain drain, and troubled finances may be one major cause. 

Ditch depressing thoughts. Minimize the Mai Tais. Some studies suggest that alcohol abuse may shrink the hippocampus. But can moderate drinking actually help cognition?