#2 Maintain an active social life.
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		Recent research suggests that frequent involvement in social activities is associated with enhanced cognitive function in older adults. One population-based study in Sweden, for example, found that the risk of dementia rose by nearly 60% for individuals with a limited social network. Another study conducted over a twelve-year period reported a substantially higher risk of cognitive impairment for individuals who had had only limited social activity twelve years earlier. While it is unclear whether social engagement is itself a contributor to healthy aging - poor social support has also been linked to alcohol abuse and poor physical health, which may account for the deficits - the benefits of healthy social involvement are clear.
Further Reading: Bassuk, S. S., Glass, T. A., & Berkman, L. F. (1999). Social disengagement and incident cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly persons. Annals of Internal Medicine, 131, 165-173. Fratiglioni, L., Wang, H-X., Ericsson, K., Maytan, M., & Winblad, B. (2000). Influence of social network on occurrence of dementia: A community-based longitudinal study. The Lancet, 355, 1351-1319. Vaillant, G. E., Meyer, S. E., Mukamal, K., & Soldz, S. (1998). Are social supports in late midlife a cause or a result of successful physical aging? Psychological Medicine, 28, 1159-1168.