Scientists now know that people generate new brain cells, and new connections between them, throughout life, and experts believe that the more mental reserves people build up, the better they can fend off age-related cognitive decline, so here are some helpful strategies. Mental stimulation is one key because the more you challenge your brain, the more new nerve pathways you form. Various new brain teasers, computer games, and puzzles have been created to assist concerned baby boomers to do just that. Yet you can actually give your brain a good workout with just a few modifications in your daily life, such as 'neurobics,' a term popularized by the late neurobiologist Lawrence Katz for engaging different parts of the brain to do familiar tasks. For example, you can try brushing your teeth or dialing the phone with your non-dominant hand, which can in theory strengthen the pathways in the opposite side of your brain. Activities that challenge your brain on various levels provide excellent stimulation, along with games that require you to strategize and interact socially at the same time. Stress has the opposite effect, as does insufficient sleep. It is almost a given that what is good for your heart is good for your head, and vice versa. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, smoking, heavy drinking, and high blood pressure all increase the risk for age-related cognitive decline. Exercise is becoming a very valuable way to enhance brain health. You can do everything right and still get Alzheimer's because brain aging appears to be a complicated mix of both environmental and genetic factors. However, the strategies outlined here are good for your overall health and may enhance your defenses against all forms of cognitive decline.