AARP Launches New Crusade Against Memory Loss

With brain health being of paramount concern as the U.S. population ages, AARP has launched a Brain Fitness initiative to help older Americans maintain brain function and improve memory capacity over time. 

“Brain Fitness,” powered by BrainHQ includes five major pillars: healthy eating, fitness, working your mind, socializing and minimizing stress. It also includes a program featuring mental exercises developed by Posit Science toward the goal of boosting brain function. 

“While many people want to take steps to stay sharp, they don’t know what they can do that actually works,” said Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, which is partnering with AARP on the launch. “We are very excited about working with AARP Brain Fitness to offer these exercises.” 

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The program is available to AARP members at a discounted subscription of $60. The program includes 20 exercises that have proven to improve brain fitness for those ages 50 to 64 as well as those who are 65 and older. It has been tested through a study by University of Iowa researchers who found “significant” gains resulting from the program. 

“It’s the ‘use it or lose it’ phenomenon, with a twist,” said the study’s lead researcher Dr. Fredric Wolinsky. “We learned that what you are using matters. Here, the exercise designed by neuroscientists delivered significant gains that generalized to daily life, and the crosswords, which a lot of people have placed their faith in, showed no measurable benefits.”

Written by Elizabeth Ecker

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