Maintaining strong social ties not only helps people live longer, it keeps their brains healthier throughout that longer life span. That’s because interesting conversations excite neural circuits and exercise brain cells, keeping them fit.

In one study, Dr. Oscar Ybarra and his colleagues at the University of Michigan assessed the cognitive effects resulting from a 10-minute conversation.

In this experiment, the topic was privacy protection as it related to recent technologies and political events.

The scientists found that these conversations led to heightened working memory (the short-term memory necessary for problem solving) as well as better mental processing speed (the time needed to complete a cognitive task).

When the researchers compared these changes to a more passive mental activity — watching a 10-minute rerun of a television sitcom — they found that the cognitive gains of conversation trumped those of watching TV.

Conversations don’t need to be on highly intellectual topics to benefit your brain. Just meeting and casually chatting with a new acquaintance is stimulating as well.

The next time you have a dinner party, try seating couples apart so your guests are encouraged to interact with new acquaintances. Make an effort to meet and learn about the people you don’t know very well.

If you meet someone you like, consider incorporating that person into your inner circle of friends. Maintaining close friendships lowers memory-impairing chronic stress by helping to prevent buildup of cortisol and other stress hormones that damage cognitive abilities.

In addition, it’s a good idea to choose friends who like to exercise and don’t smoke — their healthy lifestyle habits will help you to stay engaged in behaviors that keep your mind sharp.