A tournament for Mental Athletes, the annual USA Memory Championship contest draws competitors from all over the country to compete for the best memory in America. The event includes memorizing 99 names and faces, a shuffled deck of cards in less than five minutes, an unpublished poem and a list of 500 random words.

This year’s championship will be held Saturday, March 24 at Con Edison’s Grand Auditorium in New York City.

Dr. Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Neurology Institute for Brain Health and Fitness, and assistant professor of neurology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine will educate mental athletes and spectators on how to maintain better brain health and improve memory with tips such as what foods make up a brain-rich diet, how exercise and sleep impact the brain, and what mental challenges do to long-term brain health.

According to Dr. Fotuhi, “Many people are concerned about memory, particularly as we experience an unprecedented increase in life expectancy,” said Dr. Fotuhi. “The good news is, we can influence memory and brain health by making simple lifestyle changes like exercising more, learning something new, eating DHA-rich foods and socializing more with friends. The USA Memory Championship is a great example of how people of all ages can stimulate their minds to help boost memory. It’s never too late to take action to improve brain health.”

The USA Memory Championship complements the four dimensions of brain health – specifically the mentally engaged mind. Here are some helpful tips for a mentally engaged mind: 

• Commit to lifelong learning; intellectual curiosity, pursuit of education, reading, learning new activities and skills and even playing games are fun and easy ways to exercise your mind
• Find a brain-stimulating activity you enjoy such as reading, crosswords, learning a new language and engage in it regularly
• Learn something new each month; attend lectures, enroll in continuing education classes or join a hobby group
• Try memory games and exercises
• Keep a mentally engaged mind by living with a “use it or lose it” philosophy throughout life

And, you can join us on Saturday at the USA Memory Championship!