9 Things You Should Do for Your Brain Health Every Day, According to Neurologists

By Angela Haupt

October 17, 2024 11:28 AM EDT

Taking care of your cognitive health ought to be—well, a no-brainer. According to a survey published in March, 87% of Americans are concerned about age-related memory loss and a decline in brain function as they grow older, yet only 32% believe they can take action to help control that trajectory.

“All of us want to be cognitively intact for as long as possible,” says Dr. Seemant Chaturvedi, a neurologist and stroke specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The good news, he adds, is that “there are definitely risk factors that can be modified.” Prioritizing healthy behaviors can increase the likelihood that, when we reach our 70s and 80s, we’re still able to summon important memories, drive a car, and engage in a wide variety of activities, Chaturvedi says. And there’s no such thing as “too young” to start taking these steps.

With that in mind, we asked four neurologists what we should all do every day for better brain health. Manage your chronic illnesses

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, it’s essential to make sure it’s under control. Each condition can “damage the blood vessels in the brain and increase the risk of stroke and dementia,” while diminishing cognitive function, Chaturvedi says. In one study , for example, people who had hypertension in their 40s to early 60s had a 6.5% steeper decline in cognitive skills—including mental processing speed and executive function—in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, compared to those with normal blood pressure. Other research has found that people with higher levels of LDL cholesterol and lower levels of HDL cholesterol tend to have more amyloid plaque in their brain, which is linked with Alzheimer’s disease.

That’s why it’s important to get your numbers checked regularly, and to work with your doctor to establish a treatment regimen, Chaturvedi says. The sooner you do that, the better: “If you’re 35 or 40 and have high cholesterol, the current belief is that it’s better to start treatment early,” rather than waiting until you’re 65 or 70 and have a heart attack, he says. “If you get started early, maybe you could either postpone or never even have the heart attack,” which would be doing your brain a big favor.

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Your entire body will benefit if you work out at least a few days a week—and that includes your brain. Research suggests that exercising improves cognitive processes and memory, while increasing the thickness of your cerebral cortex, which is responsible for tasks like language, thinking, and emotions. “We’re learning more and more about the benefits of regular exercise for brain health,” Chaturvedi says. “Even in patients who have mild dementia, it’s recommended they engage in exercise three to five times a week.”

Whatever activity you choose—walking, biking, swimming—make sure you’re operating at a moderate intensity, or about 50% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. “A rule of thumb I give my patients is that if you and I were going for a walk, we’d want to be walking at a pace where we’d be pretty out of breath, but we’d still be able to have a conversation,” says Dr. Carolyn Fredericks, an assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine. One type of cardiovascular exercise doesn’t appear to be better than any other, she adds: “It’s just getting your heart into that range and keeping it there for a while.” Rest up

Not getting enough sleep is a key risk factor for dementia, says Dr. Augusto Miravalle, a neurologist and multiple sclerosis specialist at Rush University Medical Center. Research suggests that people in their 50s and 60s who get six hours of sleep or less per night are 30% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those who log at least seven hours of Z’s. Another study found that sleep-initiation insomnia, or trouble falling asleep, is associated with a 51% increased dementia risk.

So what should you do if you lie awake at night counting sheep? Invest time in improving your sleep hygiene, which means taking steps like avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening, limiting naps, and putting away electronics before bed, Miravalle advises. If that doesn’t work, schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist to figure out if you need a more aggressive approach. Options like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can help some people achieve more restful slumber.

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Fredericks always recommends her patients follow a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, veggies, whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. “We’ve tried over the years to find the secret ingredient that makes the Mediterranean diet work,” she says. “Like, could it be the omega-3’s in the fish, or the vitamin E in the nuts? But every time we try to study an individual ingredient, we don’t actually see that big of a difference at a large group level.” What appears to be most impactful, she adds, is the style of eating and emphasis on whole foods.

In addition to prioritizing certain ingredients, Miravaelle recommends avoiding those that negatively impact brain health, like trans fats and too much salt. In one study , young and middle-aged men who followed a diet heavy in trans fat remembered 11 fewer words out of 104 than those who didn’t consume as much. And excessive salt intake is linked with stroke , cognitive impairment , and cerebrovascular disease , which affects the brain’s blood vessels and circulation. Challenge your mind

People often ask Dr. Roy Hamilton what kind of intellectual stimulation is best: Should they put together puzzles or play Sudoku every day? What about video games? He tries not to be overly prescriptive, but offers a few guidelines. Brain-boosting activities should be “mildly challenging,” says Hamilton, who’s a professor of neurology, psychiatry, and physical medicine and […]

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