Staying mentally active is just as important as physical exercise, especially as we age. For adults in their 70s, regular brain exercises can help maintain cognitive function, improve memory, and even boost mood. Here are 15 proven exercises that can be easily incorporated into daily life.
Why Brain Exercises Matter at 70+
The brain is remarkably adaptable, even in later life. This property, called neuroplasticity, means that mental exercise can strengthen neural connections and potentially create new ones. Research from the National Institute on Aging suggests that cognitive activities help maintain memory and thinking skills, may delay the onset of cognitive decline, improve processing speed, and enhance overall quality of life.
15 Effective Brain Exercises
Memory Exercises
1. The Grocery List Challenge
Before going shopping, try memorizing your grocery list instead of writing it down. Start with five items and gradually increase as your skills improve. Visualize each item in a specific location in your home, or create a story connecting all the items together. Review the list mentally throughout the day to strengthen your recall. This exercise targets working memory and retrieval abilities—skills essential for daily functioning.
2. Name-Face Association
When meeting someone new or watching television, study the person's face for distinctive features. Then create a mental association between their name and something memorable about them—for example, "Mary has merry, sparkling eyes." This technique, used by memory champions, strengthens your ability to encode and retrieve name-face pairs, a skill that often declines with age.
3. Past Events Recall
Spend ten minutes daily recalling specific details from your past—childhood memories, vacations, former workplaces, or family gatherings. The more sensory details you recall, the better the exercise becomes. What did you smell? What sounds do you remember? How did you feel? This rich, detailed recall strengthens autobiographical memory networks.
Problem-Solving Exercises
4. Daily Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles engage multiple cognitive skills simultaneously. They challenge vocabulary and language retrieval, exercise memory as you search for answers, require problem-solving when clues are indirect, and build pattern recognition as you learn common crossword conventions. Start with easier puzzles and progress to more challenging ones. Many newspapers offer daily crosswords at varying difficulty levels.
5. Sudoku
This number puzzle exercises logical thinking, short-term memory, pattern recognition, and sustained concentration. The beauty of Sudoku is that it requires no mathematical calculations—just logical reasoning. Begin with simpler 4x4 grids if standard puzzles feel overwhelming, then advance to 9x9 puzzles as your skills improve.
6. Jigsaw Puzzles
Puzzles with 300-500 pieces provide excellent exercise for visual-spatial reasoning, short-term memory, attention to detail, and patience and focus. Choose images that interest you—landscapes, animals, or artwork—to keep motivation high. The tactile nature of physical puzzles adds sensory engagement that digital versions lack.
Language and Word Exercises
7. Word Games
Games like Scrabble or Words with Friends, word searches, anagrams (rearranging letters to form words), and spelling words backward all strengthen language centers and expand vocabulary. These exercises challenge word retrieval, a skill that often benefits from regular practice. Playing with others adds a social component that amplifies cognitive benefits.
8. Reading and Summarizing
After reading a chapter or article, challenge yourself by writing a brief summary, identifying the main points, and sharing what you learned with someone else. This exercise goes beyond passive reading—it requires active comprehension and memory consolidation. Explaining concepts to others forces you to organize information clearly, which deepens understanding.
9. Learning New Words
Commit to learning one new word daily. Look up its meaning and origin, use it in sentences throughout the day, and review previous words weekly. Vocabulary expansion has been linked to cognitive reserve—the brain's ability to resist damage. A larger vocabulary provides more neural pathways for communication and thought.
Attention and Focus Exercises
10. Mindful Observation
Choose an everyday object and study it for five minutes. Notice every detail—color, texture, shape, weight, temperature. Then close your eyes and describe it mentally. Open your eyes and check what you missed. This exercise trains sustained attention and observation skills, abilities that help you stay engaged with the world around you.
11. Dual-Task Training
Practice doing two things at once safely. Listen to music while sorting objects by color, recite the alphabet while walking, or count backward while folding laundry. This type of training improves cognitive flexibility and the ability to divide attention—important skills for navigating complex daily situations.
Creative Exercises
12. Drawing from Memory
Look at a simple image for thirty seconds, then draw it from memory. Start with basic shapes like a house or tree, progress to more complex images, and compare your drawing to the original. This exercise strengthens visual memory and spatial skills. Don't worry about artistic ability—accuracy of recall is what matters.
13. Story Creation
Ask someone to give you five unrelated words, then weave them into a coherent narrative. Tell the story aloud for additional language practice. Creative thinking engages multiple brain regions simultaneously, including memory systems, language centers, and executive function areas responsible for planning and organizing.
Technology-Assisted Exercises
14. Brain Training Apps
Apps designed for seniors offer structured cognitive exercises with several advantages. Look for apps that adapt difficulty to your current level, track progress over time, target multiple cognitive domains, and feature easy-to-use interfaces with large buttons and clear instructions.
SilverMind, for example, offers brain exercises specifically designed for users 70 and above, recognizing that accessibility matters as much as effectiveness.
15. Learning Something New Online
Take advantage of free online learning resources. Language learning apps like Duolingo, courses on platforms like Coursera or Khan Academy, and educational YouTube tutorials all provide cognitive challenges while teaching valuable skills. Learning new things creates new neural pathways and provides cognitive benefits that extend beyond the specific skill being learned.
Creating Your Daily Brain Exercise Routine
Sample 15-Minute Daily Plan
A balanced daily routine might include five minutes on a memory exercise like the grocery list challenge or name-face association, followed by five minutes of problem-solving with a crossword or Sudoku puzzle, and finishing with five minutes of word games or reading summarization.
Tips for Success
Consistency beats intensity—short daily sessions prove more effective than occasional long ones. Vary your activities to challenge various cognitive skills rather than just improving at one type of exercise. Track your progress to stay motivated, noting improvements in scores or completion times. Make brain training social by doing puzzles with friends or family when possible. And challenge yourself by gradually increasing difficulty as exercises become easier.
Combining Brain Exercise with Other Healthy Habits
For maximum benefit, combine mental exercises with physical activity like walking, swimming, or gentle yoga. Social engagement through regular conversations and group activities amplifies cognitive benefits. Healthy eating with foods rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, and vitamins supports brain function. Quality sleep of seven to eight hours per night allows the brain to consolidate learning. Stress reduction through meditation, deep breathing, or relaxation techniques protects the brain from cortisol's damaging effects.
When to Seek Additional Support
While these exercises benefit most seniors, consult a healthcare provider if you experience significant memory problems affecting daily life, difficulty completing previously easy tasks, confusion about time, place, or people, or sudden changes in cognitive abilities.
Remember, brain exercises are meant to complement, not replace, medical care. They're one part of a comprehensive approach to healthy aging.
Research & References
- Cognitive Training and Neuroplasticity in Older Adults - NIH Research Study
- The ACTIVE Cognitive Training Trial - JAMA Internal Medicine
- Brain Exercise and Dementia Prevention - National Institute on Aging
- Effects of Cognitive Training on Brain Structure - Nature Scientific Reports
- Neuroplasticity and Aging - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
- Benefits of Puzzles and Games for Cognitive Function - International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
