There's more to being connected to the Internet than checking email and reading out-of-state newspapers. With the right software, we can exercise our brains.

CogniFit Personal Coach is an online program geared to helping seniors improve memory, stay alert, multi-task and think faster. There's nothing to download to your computer. The whole program is online, and you only need to sign up and log in. After an initial assessment, it keeps track of your progress as you go step-by-step through more then 100 different levels.

Among the many areas it covers are auditory short-term memory, spatial perception, visual scanning, eye-hand coordination and response time.

Getting benefits from the program only takes one hour a week, broken into three 20-minute sessions. If you don't have a computer, your program can be done on a friend's computer or even at the library, since your sign-on information is secure.

CogniFit won the 2009 International Council on Active Aging award for creative products aimed at seniors. The program costs $14.95 per month. Log on and see how it works at www.cognifit.com. If in doubt about the value of the training, click the Scientific Validation tab and look through the studies.

If you're uncertain about computer use, those who use computer for any amount of time are 44 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment. Add in exercise, and you can delay (or even prevent) mental decline.

Prefer to work with pencil and paper? Pick up a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) study guide at the bookstore. Each general test book has practice questions on a variety of topics such as math, vocabulary, reading comprehension. Talk about brain stretchers!