cognitive impairment

Stop cognitive decline... and turn it around!

It's not just frustrating. It's downright frightening.

It's one thing when you forget why you're in the supermarket, but it's quite another when you have to think for a moment to figure out how you even got there in the first place.

Don't stress it, my friend.

None of us are as sharp as we were decades ago.

And if you're in the early stages of something worse... if your own doc has said you've got mild cognitive impairment... I've got the news you've been waiting for.

You DON'T have to sit back and let it get worse!

There are safe and natural ways to keep your brain firing on all cylinders and prevent the condition from turning into dementia.

And now, the latest research spots a simple and easy habit that'll not only stop the decline... but make you SHARPER, too!

Your brain might not be a muscle, but in a lot of ways it acts like one -- because the new study shows how stronger muscles lead to a stronger mind.

Don't worry, you don't have to do an Arnold Schwarzenegger workout.

You just need to keep active and make sure your muscles get a little bit of a workout, whether you spend a few minutes a day at home lifting Chunky Soup cans or head to a gym to work with some actual weights a couple of times a week.

In the new study, seniors with mild cognitive impairment who took part in a weight-training program managed to stop the mental slowdown, clear the fog, and get some of their brainpower back compared to folks in a group asked to watch nature videos.

Working out just twice a week for six months helped improve overall mental function -- and the stronger the muscles became, the sharper they got in the brain.

These weren't Olympic workouts, either. They weren't even asked to go full-throttle.

The folks in the study were asked to handle weights of about 80 percent of their maximum strength -- or a decent workout that's not going to leave you in pain afterward.

It's a simple program with lasting benefits, because the seniors managed to remain sharper a full year after the workouts ended.

An earlier study from the same team may even show why: Exercise can actually INCREASE the size of the brain in certain key regions.

That's the exact opposite of the effects of aging, which can shrink the brain -- and the more it shrinks, the higher your risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

So don't waste another day letting your own gray matter melt away. Get up, stay active and keep moving.

Want to protect your brain, improve your memory, slash your stress levels and boost your quality of life all at the same time?

Then go ahead and laugh.

New research confirms that there is some truth to the saying "laughter is the best medicine" -- and it's especially effective at protecting the brain.

In a series of experiments, seniors who watched funny videos did better on memory tests than seniors who didn't watch the videos. The laughing seniors enjoyed measurable improvements in memory recall, learning ability and sight recognition.

And while even healthy seniors saw improvements after watching the video, the biggest boost of all went to seniors with diabetes.

Laughter is also a great way to blow off steam and ease stress, and the study confirms that, too -- because seniors who laughed had lower levels of cortisol.

That's the so-called "stress hormone," and despite the name, it's not always bad. There are times when we need it.

But too much too often, or chronically high levels, can promote inflammation and lead directly to disease.

Laugh a little more, and your levels of these hormones will fall as your worries fade into the background.

And that's not all laughter can do.

Laughter can also promote relaxation, lower blood pressure and ease pain (both physical and mental). Some hospitals are even turning to laugh therapy to help patients recover.

Plus, laughing just makes you feel good.

So go ahead and watch some comedy or joke around with your friends. It's not just fun.

It's good for you, too.