Researchers have suggested that motivation is a key factor to keep your memory sharp after you retirement.
The new study found that the more a person seeks out and enjoys cognitively demanding activities, the less likely they are to experience cognitive decline later in life.
Another finding of the study is that doing a variety of different cognitive activities helps boost brainpower post-retirement.
And lastly, people exhibiting even mild signs of depression are more likely to show a decline in brainpower once they leave the office for good.
First author Larry Baer said that retirement usually occurs right around the time when normal age-related declines in cognitive function come to the fore.
He said that it is important to understand what is happening to brainpower during this period and to identify risk factors for mental decline, as well as factors that will help protect against it.
The researchers used data collected over four years, from 333 recent retirees.
The study has been published in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.
