TOTAL RECALL

Get a memory boost with these three simple tips

01. HIT THE GYM

It’s not just your muscles that benefit from lifting weights: resistance training twice a week improves blood flow in the brain, according to a study in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

MRI scans showed areas of the brain associated with memory were considerably more active in subjects who lifted weights than in those who didn’t.

02. HAVE A CUPPA

A cup of green tea can inhibit destructive enzymes associated with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, research from Newcastle University found. The effect was also shown in black tea but benefits lasted only one day, whereas the protection from green lasted an entire week. Its antioxidant potency also protects the brain from free-radical damage.

03. NAP IT UP

A daytime nap of up to one hour can help with declarative memory, the type associated with recalling knowledge, according to a Russian study. If you nap for longer, you’re likely to slip into a deep slumber, which isn’t helpful – subjects who didn’t reach the REM stage of sleep recalled more without reaction time being affected.