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 MAXIMISE YOUR MEMORY
MENTAL WORKOUT: Exercise your brain / pic posed by model 
Tuesday July 28,2009 EXPERTS have identified two main types of memory. Short-term memory (also known as working memory) lasts only a few seconds: just long enough to complete a task.
So when you read this sentence, your working memory will retain the beginning of it so that you can understand the end. Long-term memory is anything we remember for more than about a minute. That may not seem especially “long term” but research shows that these very recent memories behave much like older ones.
How to improve your memory Look after yourself. People who keep physically fit seem to have fewer memory problems as they get older. Take regular exercise, eat healthily and get plenty of good quality sleep. Limit alcohol consumption and give up smoking. Keep socially active A busy social life helps keep our memories sharp and delays the onset of dementia. Use your brain If you don’t use your brain, it’s likely to slow as you get older. Puzzles, crosswords, reading, chess, electronic “brain trainers” or any activity that gives your brain a workout are helpful. Don’t try to remember too much Research shows we find it easier to remember complicated information if we break it down into chunks. Seven items is normally seen as the maximum for each chunk. Use verbal mnemonics
This is a technique in which a memorable rhyme or phrase helps you recall information. Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain, for example, is a way of remembering the colours of the rainbow. Use cues and context Using reminders – or cues – such as putting an egg carton on the passenger seat so you remember to buy eggs when you’re out. Write it down Diaries, calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists, notes to yourself – they’ll help your overburdened memory. Don’t worry Forgetting is normal so don’t get anxious about it. Relaxing will help you recall things better. Extracted by LIZA EDWARDS from Know Your Mind, by Dr Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman (Rodale, £16.99). 
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