​Seven simple brain exercises to lower your dementia risk​

Dementia means decline in mental function interferes with your daily life and activities. The illness can affect your thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood and behavior. Study shows that 50% of people above the age of 85 and older have dementia.

It has to be understood that dementia is not a specific disease or illness, rather it is a description of the state of a person's mental function. A person with dementia generally experiences a decline in memory, reasoning, language, mood and behavior.

Dementia develops when the parts of your brain involved with learning, memory, decision-making or language are affected by infections or diseases. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Other known causes include vascular dementia, dementia due to Parkinson's disease, dementia-like conditions due to reversible causes, such as medication side effects or thyroid problems.

Experts have recommended "five minute" mentally stimulating activities could significantly reduce dementia risk. According to Alzheimer's expert, Dr Helen Moore, learning something new for just five minutes a day can be one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of developing the progressive cognitive disease.

In a bid to reduce the risk of dementia, one can start reading an article or topic you have never explored. One can also try a new word in a foreign language, or even solving a different type of puzzle. Challenging your brain with something unfamiliar for just five minutes a day can build cognitive reserve - the brain’s resilience against decline.

You can learn a new fact every day to challenge dementia- maybe pick a topic you know nothing about. Try a brain teaser or puzzle you have never done before. Listen to a short podcast on a completely new subject or practice a few words in another language. Write down three things you noticed today that you’ve never paid attention to before.

The key is to keep your mind active every day to fight dementia. The activity might be playing a quick game of cards, listening to a podcast, or chatting about the news. Even a short mental activity can lift mood, boost confidence, and keep the mind engaged. Also, switching activities helps work different parts of the brain.