If you’re an avid (or even casual) agebuzz reader, you know that there are many aspects of your lifestyle and habits that maintain and support your aging brain. Whether it’s eating a healthy diet, partaking in regular physical exercise, keeping socially active, or diving into the latest crossword puzzle, it’s clear that so many of your daily activities can help keep your brain strong as you get older. In fact, there’s an acronym- SHIELD (Sleep at least eight hours, Handle stress, Interact with others, Exercise, Learn new things and eat a healthy Diet)that can help remind you about daily brain-boosting activities. In fact, in a new study out of China, researchers identified 6 healthy lifestyle habits that can lower your dementia risk and slow memory decline: No big surprise, these include diet, exercise, social engagement, cognitive activities, and no smoking or alcohol. There are even recommendations for particular tricks to include while engaging in these sorts of activities: For example, when reading, go for fiction rather than non-fiction; include memory games in your social interactions and test your memory when you’re out and about, like when you go to a museum, to see what you can remember after the fact.

But there are also some “off the beaten path” activities you can slip into your lifestyle that also boost your brain, according to new research. So, for example, a new study recently came out about the value of social ballroom dancing to improve cognitive functioning and reduce brain atrophy in older adults. Not only will you get the benefit of good physical exercise and social interaction, but, in comparison to the activity of treadmill walking, ballroom dancing led to quicker processing time in the brains of participants and reduced atrophy in the hippocampus, which is important for memory and is often affected when someone is diagnosed with dementia. To find out more, waltz over to this link.

Or, if dancing is not for you, consider the benefits of pet ownership. According to a recent study from The University of Michigan, adults over 65 who own a pet for more than 5 years scored better on cognitive memory tests than those who do not live with a pet. In this study, pet owners demonstrated much better short and long-term memory for words than those without pets. There are several hypotheses for why this happens. For example, dog owners tend to be more physically active on a daily basis, which is tied to better brain health. As well, it’s known that pets bring new bacteria into a home environment, which may give your immune system a boost, leading to a brain boost as well. Or perhaps you just get joy and stress relief from pet ownership, also known to contribute to better brain health. For more on this study, grab a leash and read here.

Finally, to really give your brain a workout, it’s recommended that you ditch your digital GPS and pull out an old-fashioned map. It turns out that the old-fashioned “sport” of orienteering may be just what your brain needs for stimulation and strengthening. Recognizing that our ancestors relied on their orienteering skills to hunt and gather, it turns out that the physical and cognitive demands of navigating a space “have the potential to give you more bang for the buck compared to exercising only” when it comes to your brain.” Given that losing one’s ability to navigate a space is an early sign of Alzheimer’s, you’re best off saying goodbye to Waze and sharpening your own directional skills (with a map)  when you’re traveling in unknown places. You can take a look at the new research study backing this up here.