KEEP MOVING

Many of us resign ourselves to the idea that as we get older, our brains slow down. But a wealth of new research shows it’s never too late to improve the health of our grey matter. Amazingly, a study in 2019 found that the adult human brain was able to produce neurons – in other words, to renew itself – until we’re into our 90s. According to Professor James Goodwin, one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of brain health and ageing, our lifestyles have a huge impact on the sharpness of our brains. In his new book, Supercharge Your Brain, he investigates the things we can do now to help us stay mentally young for longer.

When we look at the five areas in the world with the most centenarians – Italian island Sardinia, Costa Rica, Okinawa in Japan, Loma Linda in California and the Greek island of Icaria – physical activity is a way of life. Studies show that the rate of dementia and mental decline in these places is about 75% lower than elsewhere in the Western world. People there traditionally work as shepherds, goatherders and farmers, walking for at least 10,000 steps a day. The rate of brain ageing is related to the ageing of other bodily systems. ‘There is overwhelming evidence that aerobic exercise has beneficial effects on the brain,’ Goodwin says, ‘including improved mood and thinking skills.’

DO IT NHS guidelines recommend we should be physically active for at least 150 minutes a week. ‘Think about what will motivate you to exercise,’ Goodwin says. ‘Find enjoyable ways to increase and maintain physical activity, such as joining a social group to go hill walking [when possible].’ He cautions against sitting down for too long – we have, he says, ‘a fatal love affair with the chair.’ Most of us can make small changes, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking rather than driving.