A U. S. newsletter advises that there are ways to preserve executive function, being able to make choices, plan, to initiate action, to inhibit impulses.

Executive function can be more important to functioning independently as one gets older than retaining memory because it can affect everything from walking speed to attention span to friendships and family ties, says The Harvard Health Letter.

Executive function can be preserved by regular exercise. The newsletter further says that avoiding high blood pressure and getting enough sleep each night can also help.

Other ways like making an effort to concentrate on task and saying things aloud when making a plan because it encourages pausing and paying attention to the task at hand, can help to maintain executive function.

Another way in this regards is creating habits. If keys and other items are always in the same place, executive function is not needed to figure out where to find them. Making simple things "automatic" may help make complicated matters easier to handle. (With Inputs from Agencies)