Ahead of the Curve

1. Learn new tricks "Your brain is like your biceps," says Bonita Springs physician Bob Mulert. It needs a good workout. But rather than repetitive weightlifting, our minds crave exercise provided by mastering new skills, be it sudoku or sailing. Mulert knows from novel experiences: In his early 50s, the former trauma doc took up mountain climbing and went back to school to become certified in psychiatry.

2. Set your clock And your BlackBerry and any other external memory aids that work for you. The Gulfshore’s own "Mr. Memory," Bill Beckwith, author of Managing Your Memory: Practical Solutions for Forgetting, says there’s no reason to keep appointments or commitments in your head. Free that space for deeper thoughts by writing to-do lists in big, bold letters in a daily planner.

3. Get moving Community School of Naples spelling bee champ Liam Bressler has said he goes over hard words in his head while shooting around on the basketball court. You, too, can reap the many benefits physical exercise has on brain health. Walk the length of the Gulfshore with local hiking group the Alligator Amblers (www.floridatrail.org) or jump in the Bonita Springs Community Pool for water-aerobics classes.

4. Do not go gently Caught and treated early, mild cognitive impairment can be slowed dramatically. Screenings should be as much a part of good preventive health as mammograms or colonoscopies, says Fort Myers neuropsychiatrist Frederick Schaerf. Start at age 50 if you aren’t showing symptoms—get screened right away if you are.

5. Feed your head Fish is still the No. 1 brain food, and although Southwest Florida’s waters lack the cold-water species that pack the biggest brain boost, there are health benefits to eating any of our finned friends. Also, the fresh citrus, juicy tomatoes and strawberries grown here on the Gulfshore supply beneficial antioxidants.

6. Relax The short-term effects of stress on memory can mimic those caused by disease or injury. Local life coach Lois Bolin says there’s no way to eliminate life’s annoyances, but you can control your responses to them. Work with a coach or friend to figure out what situations trigger your panic button and try to address them with humor or meditation (or at least learn to count to 10).

7. Remember when Oh, the places you’ve been and the people you knew. Writing your life story is a way to bring them back in vivid detail. Channel your inner muse through the local Gulf Coast Writers Association (www.gulfwriters.org) or by attending FGCU’s Sanibel Island Writers Conference in October (www.fgcu.edu/siwc/index.html).