Learning a new language may help your memory in the long run (Flickr / CTG/SF).

A study published in the Neurology scientific journal recorded 648 people with three different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. These participants attended a memory clinic between June 2006 and October 2012. The scientists focused on the differences between the patients who spoke only one language and those who spoke different languages. Their results were surprising.

The bilingual participants developed dementia an average of 4.5 years later than those who only spoke one language. Scientists ensured that the results of the study were independent of factors such as education, sex, occupation, and urban versus rural settlement of the participants.

Dr. Thomas Bak of Scotland’s University of Edinburgh said that bilingual speakers “always practice a kind of brain gymnastics of having to select the correct language and suppress the other,” which leads to the stimulation of many parts of the brain throughout their lives. This stimulation is enough to delay the onset of deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia by almost 5 years.

Dr. Bak also said, “In a way I would say bilingualism is the mental equivalent of swimming… You have to use different sounds; you have to be aware of the different social norms. It stimulates a lot of different parts of the brain.”

If you are looking for different ways to stimulate the brain and prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s without having to learn an entire language, try these easy tasks.

• While brushing your teeth and hair, try using your opposite hand. Although using the opposite hand may feel awkward and uncomfortable, a study shows that using your less dominant hand can increase your brain’s creativity levels. Brush away!

• Exercise. A good rule of thumb is that when you exercise your body, you exercise your brain. Exercise increases the amount of oxygen that goes to your brain, which reduces the risks for many disorders, including those that cause memory loss.

• Get a good night’s sleep. When people are sleep deprived, their brains cannot operate at full capacity. Much research shows that increased sleep can lead to better memory recall.

• Laughter is truly the best medicine. Studies show that laughter engages multiple regions of the brain and allows people to think more broadly and freely.

• Board games/Sudoku/crosswords are all great brain stimulators. Keep a Sudoku puzzle book or a crossword near your desk. Whenever you have some downtime, try solving part of the puzzle, even if you only have two minutes to spare. During the holidays, instead of crowding around the television, try playing board games and card games. Not only are they a great way to engage and use your brain, they are also fun and bring family and friends closer together.

Reach Staff Reporter Niki Hashemi here or follow her on Twitter.