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Comment by failrate | Hacker News Reader

The sad reality is that cognitive decline over age is more likely than not. I have prebuilt a set of habits that I hope will serve me for when I need to rely on them to get me through the day.

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I had a conversation with an elderly neurologist at a wedding on this topic. His top item of advice was to do things that put your awareness into your moving body as much as possible, as a daily habit. No surprise he and his wife were the only folks in their age bracket rocking out on the dance floor later.

> to do things that put your awareness into your moving body as much as possible

Could you explain it in simpler terms?

I think this means do things that need you to think consciously about your body coordination. So dancing, rock climbing, motorcycle Enduro racing etc

Interesting. Does that mean that mostly relying on muscle memory is not as beneficial in this context? E.g. if you're already good at some technical sport (e.g. tennis, basketball), playing it wouldn't be as beneficial as, say, learning a new dance?

Interesting. What kind of habits?

Glasses and ID together. Car keys on top of work items like laptop and badge. White board next to front door with dates and reminders and mail to drop off. Arrange things like you would for a Sims character.

Oh... yeah, those make sense. I already do a lot of those things so that I can be sure I don't forget anything.

And I'm not even "old" yet...I guess it will pay off in the long run.

I hope that regular exercise of my body and mind can minimize this.

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