5 Easy Memory Tricks

You know that eating healthy, staying active, and solving a few brain games can help keep you sharp. But these lesser-known habits work wonders too.

- Andrea Au Levitt

1 Sit Tall

When we are sad or afraid, we naturally collapse or cower. Studies show that the converse is also true: When we slouch, this defeated position actually causes us to feel anxious or depressed—which makes it harder to think clearly and remember things. In a study of 125 college students, 56 percent found it easier to do math problems when they sat up straight than when they slumped down.

Erect posture apparently improves memory because it boosts blood and oxygen flow to the brain—by up to 40 percent, according to one estimate.

2 Exercise—Once

Having trouble remembering faces? Break a sweat. In a small study, researchers at the University of Iowa showed pictures of faces to older folks (average age: 67) on two different days and after two different kinds of workouts. On one day, they pedaled a stationary bike for 20 minutes at a pace that was intense enough to make them breathe heavily but still be able to talk. On the other day, they simply sat for 20 minutes on a self-pedaling bike.