There is no reality check like telling someone the same story twice and not realizing it until they stop you midway. When that’s followed by misplacing your keys for the second time in a week or blanking on the name of someone you recently met, it’s evident that your memory may not be as sharp as it used to be. And that’s OK — memory changes with age are normal, Dakari Quimby, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the USC Keck School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life.

But there are steps you can take — specifically, brain games — that can help your memory stay sharp.

Brain games and memory exercises stimulate neural pathways and promote neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change and learn, Quimby explains. This helps strengthen neural connections, which can help solidify skills and memory-making ability. “Engaging in cognitive challenges can enhance cognitive function and potentially delay memory decline,” he says.

Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center, says that several studies have shown that simple memory exercises like those listed below can improve age-related memory challenges.

4 brain games that help boost memory
Flexing your memory “muscles” and strategizing with these activities can actually make a difference, especially when they’re practiced consistently over time.