Activities for brain health: It’s the variety that counts
Although it is not inevitable, cognitive decline is often associated with advancing age. As adults in the Western world live increasingly long lives, understanding how to preserve and nurture the brain’s function becomes ever more important.
Over the years, studies have shown that both physical and cognitive activity correlate with improved cognitive performance.
On the other side of the coin, research has demonstrated that individuals who spend long periods doing more passive activities, such as watching television, are more likely to experience steeper cognitive decline.
Many scientists have studied the effects of physical, leisure, and social activity on cognitive ability and decline. However, a recent study by researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa takes a slightly different approach. Their findings feature in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.