These 7 Midlife Habits May Help Keep Your Brain Sharp For Decades
When it comes to long-term brain health, your daily habits may carry more weight than you think. A recent study from Trinity College Dublin looked at how midlife activities (things like traveling, playing music, and spending time with friends) relate to cognitive function later in life. Here's why these decades are the best time to prioritize, well, having fun.
How the study worked
Researchers have long known that certain lifestyle factors can help protect against cognitive decline, but less is understood about which specific activities matter most and whether they can offset genetic risk.
To explore this, the team studied 700 cognitively healthy adults between ages 40 and 59 from Ireland and the United Kingdom. About one third of participants carried the APOE ε4 gene, the most well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers assessed seven types of lifestyle activities: socializing, playing a musical instrument, artistic pastimes, physical activities, reading, practicing a second language, and traveling. They also tracked harmful modifiable risk factors, including depressive symptoms, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, hypertension, poor sleep, and hearing impairment.
Variety may matter more than genetics
Participants who engaged in a diverse mix of stimulating activities showed better cognitive performance than those who focused on just one or two habits, regardless of their genetic risk profile.
Perhaps most notably, these lifestyle factors showed a stronger positive association with cognition than the negative association linked to carrying the APOE ε4 gene. So, living an engaged, varied lifestyle may help buffer even inherited vulnerability.
Different activities engage different cognitive domains. Playing music challenges memory and fine motor skills; socializing exercises emotional regulation and communication; traveling exposes the brain to novel environments and problem-solving demands. When combined, these activities build a broader cognitive reserve (basically a brain bank that helps your brain stay resilient as it ages).
Seven habits linked to better cognition
Here's a closer look at the activities the researchers assessed:
- Socializing: regular connection with friends, family, or community groups (weekly dinners, phone calls, or joining a club)
- Playing a musical instrument: even picking up an instrument as a beginner counts, since the learning process itself is cognitively demanding
- Artistic pastimes: painting, crafting, photography, or any creative pursuit that engages your brain
- Physical activities: movement of any kind, including walking, swimming, strength training, and yoga
- Reading: books, long-form articles, or anything that requires sustained attention
- Practicing a second language: using an app, taking a class, or practicing with a friend
- Traveling: exposure to new environments and cultures, including local day trips to unfamiliar places
The benefit comes from combining several of these habits into a rich, engaged lifestyle that supports not just cognitive health but overall longevity and well-being.
What this means for people with genetic risk
While everyone can benefit from brain-protecting habits these, it may be especially important for those who have a higher genetic risk (like an APOE4 gene). One study published in JAMA found that making favorable lifestyle choices helped lower risk of dementia1, regardless of one's genetic risk. However, following unfavorable habits and having a high genetic risk significantly increased dementia risk.
The takeaway
This research reframes brain health as something you can actively build in midlife, not just something to worry about later. And the same habits that support long-term cognition are the ones that bring joy to your life: connecting with people you love, learning something new, moving your body, and exploring unfamiliar places.
