My memory's awful - how can I improve it

asks Su smith:
A. Your memory, like most things, will work better the more you use it. However, you don't have to go around trying to remember things, just exercise it and stretch it a little. Good ways to do this are play games such as chess, bridge and Scrabble; read challenging books and broadsheet newspapers in depth; do crossword puzzles; take any course where you learn a new subject. And there's evidence that physical exercise helps, too.

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Q. How does that work
A. Researchers at Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina found that walking, jogging and cycling can prevent memory and mental skills declining with age. It's believed that exercise increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.

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Q. How much do I need to do
A. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week brings a noticeable improvements in memory. And walking seems to be the best bet. Another study compared walking to stretching and toning exercises in the elderly and found that walking brought the most positive effects in memory, planning and scheduling.

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Q. Does my diet have any effect
A. It certainly does. A diet high in fat can impair memory skills - in rats, anyway. In a study published in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Canadian scientists found that rats which ate a lot less fat got consistently better scores in memory tests than their chubby chums.

You could also try adding fresh sage and rosemary leaves to your food. Sage, which is traditionally associated with longevity, is reputed to help restore a failing memory in older people. And rosemary is known for its powers to strengthen the memory: in fact, invigorating rosemary essential oil is often sniffed by office workers to give them a brain boost during the mid-afternoon slump.

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I've heard that gingko biloba can help...
A. Yes, it's been shown that a single dose can improve your attention span by up to six hours. It does this by improving the blood flow to the brain.

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Q. Are there any memory techniques I can try
A. Yes. Tony Buzan, author of many 'mind' books including Use your head and Use your memory, invented 'mind maps' in the 1960s. Beloved of management training courses worldwide, mind maps are graphic devices which aim to harness 'word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness' to enhance the brain's potential and improve learning. Find out more at the Mind Map site.

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Do you know a good way to improve memory Post it here

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By Sheena Miller