Quick: What’s a ten-letter term for mental clarity? If you said “crosswords,” write that down in pen.People who do crossword puzzles, play chess, or otherwise manage to keep their brains busy increase their chances of staying mentally sharp, according to a new report in the New England Journal of Medicine. It’s sort of like jogging for the brain.

In the study, re-searchers charted the leisure activities of people over 75 for up to 21 years (the median follow-up was five years). The volunteers lowered their risk of dementia by 7 percent for every additional day per week that included a mentally stimulating activity. People who “worked out” 11 or more times a week saw a full 63 percent drop compared to the least active players. Beneficial activities also included reading and playing other board games such as checkers and backgammon.

Most physical activities, on the other hand, did not prove that helpful. Team sports and ballroom dancing were exceptions, perhaps because they require the mental rigor of working with partners or learning complex steps. Researchers aren’t sure why mental exercise makes such a difference. One theory is that it enriches neural connections, slowing the loss that occurs naturally with age. The sooner you start working that brain, the better, says study author JoeVerghese, an assistant professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. So put down that putter and pick up the morning paper instead.

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