MADISON, Wis. -- The Madison Senior Center is a place where people can be challenged to learn and to keep their brains active.

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The center's helping residents stay young by working out their brains.

"The real science is just beginning to be done," said 73-year-old volunteer and retired University of Wisconsin professor Jerry Sanders. "It (brain) continually adjusts to weakness -- makes you work harder and harder."

This cognitive fitness program is something he recently tried out.

"The ability to readapt when it loses certain functions -- reacquire those skills, retrain areas of the brain to handle those things," said Sanders.

Reta Harring, 80, volunteers in the center's computer lab and exercises her mind and body here.

"It isn't a place to sit around and play cards or knit or just sit around. There's so much going on," said Harring. "Classes for brain activity - - because you don't want to sit around and do nothing."

Madison Senior Center Director Christine Beatty said the fear of memory loss is a great motivation.

"It is possible to exercise the brain muscle and enhance the cognitive fitness that's good news and why it's an important topic right now," said Beatty.

And exercising is helping Sanders enjoy this time in his life.

"What better part of successful aging than keeping your cognitive fitness?" said Sanders.

The Madison Senior Center is considered a mental fitness leader on the national level, WISC-TV reported.

The senior center celebrates its 25th anniversary celebration on Monday, Aug. 25, from 1 - 3 p.m.

To find out more about the open house, please call 267-8652.