AARP Rewards Community Learning & Earning Contest August 2022

I play games,  read a lot, take walks 

I am a book club leader, so I am always reading and learning about new things in order to lead discussions. Exercising every day, just walking my little dog (my personal trainer) helps me think more clearly and feel less rusty. It's easy to play Words With Friends and other word games on my I pad.  I challenge myself to play games that aren't word games to work the parts of the brain that aren't natural to me! Number Match, Sort Puz, and Wooden Block all stretch me. Also learning to play Canasta - I think trying new things that aren't already in your natural skill set is important! 

I try to keep up with the basics of enough sleep, a good diet, and regular exercise, since I find that when I do, it's a lot easier to really engage my mind in everything, whether it be work tasks or leisure activities!

One of the best ways to keep the brain active is to engage in AARP activities which include reading articles, taking quizzes, and watching videos.  To keep my mind creative, I make interactive greeting cards for friends and family which have pop up elements to create movement.  Knowing how to assemble the cards, choosing color palette or coloring parts of the cards, and die cutting is a good exercise for the brain.   I have an extensive collection of crafting tools in my inventory that needs to be kept organized, so remembering where those are stored is a good challenge for my brain.  Exercise and staying fit is my way to keep the body and mind healthy.

Engaging with my 2-year old grandson keeps the mind young.  I make him interactive flash cards to teach color, shapes, and alphabet letters with cute animal die cuts.  To see the delight from a child in learning is very fulfilling.

Active gardening, short walks, book reviewing, puzzle solving, news watching, and experimenting with different recipes, photographing interesting scenes, and phoning friends from the past. 

I play Words with Friends, Wordle, Quordle, Nerdle pretty much every day, read regularly, take walks, belong to a monthly book club and a women's spiritual group that discusses all sorts of issues. Of course, spending time with the grandkids keeps one active in many ways.

I do the continuing education required for my job. It keeps me up yo date and challenges me to remember new things.

I do the AARP Staying Sharp activities, walk and hike, read a lot, do crossword puzzles, and recently got a new computer which uses a different photo editing program and I am setting aside time (like for a class but on my own) to learn it step by step.

I purposely take online classes that will challenge my thought process. For example, I am not into coding but I registered for one. The other way to keep the brain energetic is to enlist in AARP activities which include reading articles, taking quizzes, and watching videos. 

I definitely keep my mind going by playing tennis and pickleball. When I can’t get outside, I play memory games on my iPad. I try to visit with friends and attend concerts, shows and go out to lunch or dinner with them. Having these relationships not only keeps me happy but helps the memory.