The important thing is to avoid ruts. I’ve met stockbrokers who can do complex transactions in their heads at the age of 90. It’s incredible to us, but for them, that’s normal. It’s a skill they’ve honed for many years. To maintain a cognitive edge overall, you want to train your brain constantly to do new things. (If you do want to play brain games, here are some fun ones to challenge you!) But for preventing or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, there’s something else that’s more effective, and that’s physical exercise. The journal Neurology just published a study of nearly 700 people in their early 70s. Those with a more active lifestyle had less anatomical brain shrinkage and better cognitive function than the couch potatoes. Overall, physical activity accounted for 6 to 20% of the variation in mental ability in this group. It wasn’t only aerobic activity that was important, although cardio does help maintain the health of blood vessels that supply the heart and brain. Resistance training also provided protection. For older men and particularly women, who are less likely to engage in resistance training, this is important. We don’t know why it works. We just know that it does. It’s also important to control your blood pressure, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and maintain strong social support networks. Many studies have validated these measures. But if you don’t like crosswords, get moving, because physical exercise may offer the greatest return on investment. Sanjay Gupta, MD, is chief medical correspondent for CNN and a practicing neurosurgeon at Emory Clinic in Atlanta.
