Get More Life Out of Your Windshield Wiper Blades When was the last time you replaced your windshield wiper blades? If you’re like most people, you may not remember. As a general rule of thumb, you should replace your wiper blades about once a year, assuming they’ve been through a normal level of wear and tear. However, with a few easy steps, you can make your blades last longer without compromising visibility. • Keep your windshield and wipers clean of debris, dirt, dust, and other particles. Anything on the window or the blades can cause damage. Simply wiping them off with a microfiber cloth can go a long way. • In cold weather, always clear your windshield of ice and snow before activating your wiper blades. Ice can shorten the life span of most wiper blades significantly. • Every time you gas up your vehicle, take a moment to clean your windshield and the wiper blades. You can run the squeegee sponge over the wiper blade or use a paper towel.
Get Physical Taking care of our physical health has also been shown to help brain function. According to a study by Sydney University in Australia, aerobic exercise is particularly good at jogging our memory. The researchers note that “aerobic exercise acts by preventing the usual decrease in neurogenesis associated with aging, thus resulting in greater retention of neural matter — particularly in the hippocampus.” In short, exercises like swimming and running keep the part of our brain responsible for memory from shrinking. Spend Time With Friends and Family Humans are social creatures. Many studies have shown that being a part of a supportive social group can significantly benefit our physical and mental health. In fact, the American Journal of Public Health reports that people who have daily contact with friends and family cut their risk of dementia and mental impairment almost in half. Our mental diaries may be longer and fuller than they were in Wilde’s day, but if we fill those pages with hobbies, exercise, and close friends, our memories will remain sharp and vivid for the rest of our days. Tips to Keep Memory Sharp and Improve Cognitive Function Strength of Mind • Watch your washer fluid levels and top it off regularly. When you run a cleaning cycle without washer fluid, the wiper blades deteriorate. How do you know when it’s time to replace your blades? The first sign is when they start streaking. However, in some cases, streaking may be caused by dirt or other grime stuck to the blades. If they continue to streak or skip after cleaning, they need to be replaced. Thankfully, wiper blades are typically the least expensive and easiest car part to replace. With this in mind, remember that you get what you pay for, and it pays to do research. There are many different blades on the market. Some are suited for icy conditions and some are designed for sunny weather. Take your time to read product descriptions to ensure you install blades that are right for your vehicle.
Irish poet Oscar Wilde once called memory “the diary that we all carry about with us.” Of course, in Wilde’s time, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years old. As modern medicine continues to enable people to live longer, these “diaries” tend to become muddled. Fortunately, there are ways to counteract the natural dulling of our memory that comes with time. Puzzle Yourself Just like any other muscle, our brain needs a workout in order to stay strong. As Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson of Harvard Medical School writes, “Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells.” Activities like solving puzzles, learning a musical instrument, or picking up a new hobby work wonders to keep your mind active and your memory sharp. These mental exercises are especially important after retirement, often to make up for the loss of stimulating challenges that work used to provide.
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