How can I improve my short-term memory?

Sometimes I’ll get up to get something and forget what it was I wanted to get (I think this is called a “senior moment”), and I’m not even 30! I also have more trouble concentrating than I did in the past, though that could be because the lectures are less interesting than they were when I was an undergrad. Maybe it’s a vitamin deficiency or something (I eat basically no fruits or vegetables), but I do take centrum once a day.
Is there any way to improve my short-term memory? Does exercise work? Some variety of meditation? Is this just a natural part of aging?

I’m a male in my mid-twenties.

I’d prefer first- or second-hand accounts (e.g. “I (or my friend) did X and memory drastically improved!”), but I will take general advice, of course.

Might want to think about changing this. I can’t prove it’s related to the question you ask, but if you’re interested in being healthy at the age of, say, 38, your current habits might stand some adjustment.

What was the question again?

To give an answer that can’t be classed as snarky, I’ll mention the conventional wisdom offered to Seniors of “use it or lose it”. IOW, you’ll improve short-term memory by doing things that tax it.

At the next party you attend, try making a point of noting the name of everyone you’re introduced to. Try games of “concentartion” with cards (where you must remember cards when they’re only briefly turned face-up). No doubt there are online resources for this sort of exercise.

First of all, it sounds like your short-term memory is fine, from what you’ve posted. Short-term memory lasts under a minute.

It sounds like you’re not moving stuff from short-term to long-term memory.

Some basic tips may be found here (caveat: some are good, some maybe not so good. YMMV):http://www.slu.edu/readstory/more/2735

I’d recommend the following as good rules of thumb for anyone
Get exercise.
Get a good night’s sleep, shoot for 7 hours.
Stretch your mind with activities that require concentration: crossword puzzles, chess, learn a new skill.
Minimize alcohol and mood-altering drugs.
Review your medications with your pharmacist or doctor. Including OTCs.

And see your doctor if your memory lapses are causing life disturbances or dysfunction.

I have serious short-term memory problems.

I had put it down to excessive marijuana consumption when I was younger.

The worst thing I ever did was when two houseguests came to meet me in my office. I put them in a meeting room to wait for me to finish work, then went back to my desk and promptly got distracted and forgot about them. They were there for two hours, without even a glass of water, before I remembered they were there, and went and fetched them.

However, I noticed something a couple of years ago. This relates to persistently not remembering people’s names, two minutes after I’ve been introduced to them.

A while back I was working as a volunteer coordinator, and would have to meet and greet 20+ new people every single evening - not all of whom had western names either. I was crapping myself about not being able to remember their names, and inadvertantly insulting everyone by doing this.

So, I started to put some effort into it.

And it suddenly became easy - overnight. I was able to remember about 80% of the names of the people I met, even though normally I remember zero new names.

Most spectacularly, I met an (amazingly hot) Iraqi girl, whose name was Umeme. Mentally, I was saying “Umeme, like umami, but with Es” over and over again. And I remember her name to this day. (Sadly I never saw her again.)

But I digress. This made me realise that most of the time, I simply subconsciously don’t care about remembering stuff; if it doesn’t interest me, it just goes away. And all I have to do is put a little bit of conscious effort in, and I can remember stuff. It doesn’t work all the time, for example if someone tells me something while my concentration is focused elsewhere, or if there’s something pressing on my mind, but if I decide to remember stuff, it does in fact stick.

YMMV.