While advancements in medicine and the introduction of healthcare systems are seeing people living into their hundreds, the human brain only remains at the peak of its powers for about a fifth of that time.
Dr Michael Mosley explained that things like processing speed, reasoning skills and top-notch memory usually peak in your 20s and then start to decline.
However, the doctor also explained that if you get science on your side, this might be avoidable.
Speaking on his podcast Stay Young, he said: “Research shows that learning something new, especially something which is challenging, is one of the best ways to stay sharp.
“It can improve your processing speed, enhance your memory and give your reasoning skills a boost as well.”
To get into the bottom of this, the podcaster invited a “superager”, Lord Richard Wilson, to his show.
While Richard is now 80 years old, his brain is much younger than his chronological age.
Curious and eager to learn from a young age, the man has built his life around these traits.
He described his whole career as a series of postings that he thought he couldn’t do but he always managed to conquer in the end.
The willingness to learn, staying curious and challenging yourself are some of his “top tips” for people in their 50s or 60s who want to stay sharp and young.
1.Follow your curiosity
Speaking on the BBC podcast, the lord instructed listeners to always follow their curiosity. He said: “Don’t let it rest, pursue it.”
2.Don’t tell yourself you’re too old
His second tip was avoiding looking for excuses as to why not attempt something new like thinking you’re too old to try.
3.Set yourself a challenge
His last tip is keeping yourself challenged even though it may seem stressful. Richard said: “It’s important to persist through that stress and come out the other side.
“It’s like exercise. Sometimes you do an exercise, it hurts a bit, but it’s worth persisting with it because then you get the reward.”
Dr Mosley added that traits like curiosity, enjoying a large variety of different activities, and showing grit when faced with a challenge are all characteristics that seem to be common among superagers.
Therefore, he recommended learning something new and constantly keeping yourself on your toes.
Whether you start a new language or give a go to an interesting skill, this practice could enhance your memory, improve your attention and make your brain “significantly” younger”, the doctor concluded.
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