How to preserve brain function

BOSTON, March 8 (UPI) -- There are ways to preserve executive function -- being able to make choices, plan, initiate action, inhibit impulses -- a U.S. newsletter advises.

The Harvard Health Letter says executive function can be more important to functioning independently as one gets older than retaining memory because it can affect everything from walking speed to attention span to friendships and family ties.

Regular exercise can help preserve executive function. Avoiding high blood pressure and getting enough sleep each night can also help, the newsletter says. Other ways to maintain executive function include:

-- Making an effort to concentrate on tasks.

-- Saying things aloud when making a plan because it encourages pausing and paying attention to the task at hand.

-- Creating habits. If keys and other items are always in the same place, executive function is not needed to figure out where to find them. Making simple things "automatic" may help make complicated matters easier to handle.