THEY say the new middle age starts at 50, thanks to baby boomers refusing to grow old.

Much has been said about keeping fit, not just physically, but mentally.

The brain can reorganise itself according to input. This is termed the brain's neuroplasticity.

While this is most prevalent in childhood, it continues throughout life. Those who suffer strokes or brain damage, for instance, can learn to write with the other hand.

Here are four tips to get your brain working better:

1) Play games

There are games that have been specifically developed for adults.

Nintendo has come up with Brain Age, with word, memory and maths puzzles on a handheld machine.

Since its launch in 2005, more than 17million games were sold worldwide.

Nintendo claims it is being played by more than 10 million people worldwide daily, and has engaged actress Nicole Kidman to be part of its publicity.

You can try it at www.brainage.com.

2) Move while learning

US education consultant David Sousa, author of How The Brain Learns, said movement is essential for effective learning. He told The Age: 'We think better on our feet. When you sit for more than 20 minutes, blood pools in your feet and your seat.'

Moving causes 15 per cent more oxygen and glucose to be delivered to the brain. If moving isn't possible, say you are at a meeting, then try toe raises.

Regular exercise has been shown to improve the speed of recall.

Exercise seems more effective in preserving mental function that could decline with age as opposed to improving function among people who have been sedentary their whole lives.

3) Talk about it

Another of Dr Sousa's findings was that we retain information better if we talk about it. He said: 'Every time we start talking, our frontal lobe starts working. In fact, talking is one of the most effective memory devices.'

Also, the brain processes speech very differently from other sounds. Speech is handled by the left side of the brain while other sounds are processed by the right. This allows the brain to extract the most information from speech.

4) Music

Count yourself lucky if you learnt to play a musical instrument when young.

Music training can have a lasting impact on the developing brain.

Researchers have also found that people who listened to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K448) for 10 minutes just before taking an intelligence test scored 60 per cent higher than those who listened to Philip Glass or mediated.

It seems the complexity and rhythm of classical music helps to 'warm up' parts of the brain.

However, listening to music while learning may backfire as it competes with the study material for attention.

This story was first published in The New Paper on Mar 9, 2008.