on the comeback so you can learn to play through a community college or continuing education program or hire a private instructor for lessonsin the 50s and onwards use chopsticks studies show that engaging the concentrated areas of nerve cells in your fingertips directly stimulates your brain says maoshing ni phd author of second spring dr maos hundreds of natural secrets for women to revitalize and regenerate at any age truth is any fingertip activity using chopsticks knitting or even rolling a pen or pencil between your fingers also helps your brain by boosting your circulation and good circulation helps eliminate waste products that can prevent nutrients from reaching your brainplay electronic games no youre not too old for a wii or one of the new handheld brainexercise games and it may even be good for you since simply trying something new gets your brain juiced says neuropsychologist reon baird phd of the long beach memorial medical center when that something new is a video game youll stimulate different parts of the brain that you dont normally use on a daytoday basis she says try brain challenge for the wii or brain age for the nintendo ds if thats too techy for you play along with wheel of fortune or jeopardy on tv dr baird says challenge your knowitall spouse to make it more funbe careful with meds if you ache every time you work out and never sleep well due to night sweats theres a pill for that but be careful research in clinical interventions in aging reveals that nonprescription sleep aids may cause some cognitive impairment like confusion in older adults how much is unknown but youre probably familiar with the nextday grogginess and the medicine known as diphenhydramine found in many allergy medications and nighttime pain pills has an anticholinergic effect it blocks communication between nerve cells talk with your doctor about other remedies like relaxation or cognitive therapy for sleep problems