THE ART OF STAYING SHARP

Three recent studies reveal surprising new ways to keep your brain healthy.

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Exercise for five minutes every day.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA) found that just 35 minutes of weekly exercise could reduce the chance of developing dementia in the next four years by 41%.

What the study found: Participants included 90,000 adults in the U.K., and those who did 35 to 70 minutes of weekly exercise saw a 60% decrease in dementia risk. “The results suggest that any extra movement beyond one's usual daily routine at a moderate or higher intensity could be beneficial,” says the study’s lead author, Amal Wanigatunga, Ph.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

How it works: Previous research has linked physical activity to better blood flow to the brain, increased brain volume, formation of new neurons, and greater neuroplasticity.

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