Peter Chen was determined to stay active and fit, physically and mentally. And after retirement he specifically focused on physical exercises and activities to keep up his mental ability.

“On top of that, I have a spouse who is extremely sharp,” the retired meteorologist says with a little chuckle, “and I knew I had to keep up with her.” 

Chen, now 72 and a member of Federal Retirees since 2013, spent 30 years with the Meteorological Service of Canada and then 10 working at the World Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations in Geneva, retiring to Dorval, Que., in 2014. During his career he worked in areas where the weather and climate have importance in technical development, in public policy considerations, both nationally and on a global scale. His spouse, Monique Loiselle, was also a meteorologist. 

The retiree is very aware of the impacts of aging, fears losing his mental acuity and doesn’t want to fall victim to the psychology of denial. He is encouraged, though, by others who continue to be sharp well into their later years. 

It’s a concern many share. When asked, members listed Wordle, Duolingo, online Scrabble, online Farkle, Crossmath puzzles, Connections, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, Canuckle, Waffle, cryptograms as some of the games they play to keep their brains engaged. Many also mentioned that they enjoy reading, writing, painting, Zentangle art, knitting, quilting, sewing, tai chi, walking, card games and jigsaw puzzles.

Games and puzzles are known to help stimulate our brains, which is particularly important for older adults and those at risk of dementia. And, as many retirees mentioned in a recent Facebook post, other activities can also help keep the brain active and engaged.

“There is a movement in medical sciences that the treatment of dementia is prevention” by stimulating the brain, says Western University professor and Lawson Health Research Institute clinician-scientist Manuel Montero-Odasso.

A 2024 report by the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care found that untreated vision loss and high high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (also known as the “bad cholesterol”) are risk factors for dementia. It found that about 45 per cent of cases of dementia are potentially preventable by addressing modifiable risk factors at different stages during the course of life.

Less education is an early life risk while social isolation, air pollution and vision loss are risks attributed to later life. Hearing loss, high cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking and hypertension along with obesity and excessive alcohol are middle life risks.

Montero-Odasso earlier led a study that found combining aerobic and resistance exercises and cognitive training may improve cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The clinical trial, published in JAMA Network Open in July 2023, included 175 participants between 60 and 85 years old with mild cognitive impairment.

Learning a musical instrument, he says by way of example, provides cognitive training that requires you to divide your attention, in which you perform two or three activities at the same time, and includes the need for memory retrieval. “You need to divide your attention to paying attention to where you place your fingers and where you place your eyes… but also you need to remember the notes, you need to remember where to do it and when,” he says. That, combined with a mix of physical activity, can go a long way to stimulate the brain and prevent dementia, he says.

Montero-Odasso is preparing to launch a second phase of the study and is recruiting 550 seniors from across Canada with mild cognitive impairment, that is, an intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and early dementia. The trial will be done remotely through the guidance of trained coaches. (He would like to hear from retirees interested in participating in the SYNERGIC Trial. Those who are interested can email info@gaitandbrain.com).

Chen, too, is mixing up his activities. He particularly enjoys doing word games, such as Wordle and Wordscape, while Loiselle works on word games in French and English. But he found online games addictive and felt his screen time robbed him of time he thought better spent reading and doing other enriching activities.

When his granddaughter, who had a new school friend from China, expressed interest in Chinese, the two decided to try the language app, Duolingo, together. While working in Geneva, Chen took Chinese language classes, building on a base he had developed in elementary school in Vancouver, so he had a good head start.

“I’ve reached the top of Duolingo Chinese, I’m just doing daily practice now,” Chen says proudly.

But as an anglophone from the West Coast, Chen has long been developing his French, first when he moved to Montreal in 1991 and also as a spouse to a francophone whose family primarily communicates in French. Further development came later when he worked in Geneva. In day-to-day life now, he’s learned to maintain his French.

When his Vancouver high school class decided to have a 52nd reunion, Chen saw an opportunity to develop further. Learning new skills and employing existing ones, he created an electronic book of the graduates. He gathered new photos of those he could reach, and presented them next to their high school graduation photos, accompanying each one with a short biography.

“It’s absolutely amazing to see those 133 entries and the stories are amazing,” he says of the process, which resulted in a product that allowed people to get to know more about each other leading up to the reunion. “Now I’m also writing little bits of stories about my life story” for my kids, Chen says.

“I am still thinking of how I will continue to exercise my brain and body, and stay mentally and physically fit even as decline is inevitable.”

For Brian Sutch, five-star Sudoku puzzles have become part of his bedtime regime. He likes the idea of having to clear his mind to concentrate while double-checking every step, using his experience as a rock climber and alpinist in his youth to shut his mind from all outside interference.

“I have to admit though I never fell asleep while climbing; now I am well into my 80s, I occasionally do with my Sudokus,” says Sutch, who joined the association in 2002.