No matter what our current age, we all want to have a healthy body and a healthy mind as we get older. There is not much pleasure in living a long life if our final years are spent in pain and if we lose our ability to think and remember.

As much as we dread suffering physical pain and illness in old age, many of us fear even more the prospect of losing our mental capacities.

We know that some people are able to live into their eighth and ninth decades still mentally sharp and physically spry. What are our chances of staying mentally alert and physically active in old age? Is it all a matter of random luck? Is losing our mental powers as we age inevitable?

The good news is that statistically the odds are on your side. Most people are able to keep their cognitive faculties as they age unless they develop Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, or diabetes.

As long as the brain itself remains healthy, older people can maintain their ability to think and remember, although processing may take longer than it used to. Seniors are actually able to outperform much younger people in certain kinds of mental skills.

Do Our Brains Really Shrink as We Get Older?

If you