What comes to mind when you think about a healthy aging lifestyle? Maybe cutting out the sweets and sugary drinks, finally hopping on that exercise bike that’s gathering dust, or maybe a little less vegging in front of the television and a few more veggies on your plate. But what you may not think about is that the shift from bad habits to healthier ones brings benefits far beyond your physical well-being. That’s because your brain and its ability to weather the aging process and even thrive as your body gets older also relies on those healthy habits to keep it resilient and functioning. As scientists begin to dig deeper into the science of neurocognitive aging, they’re beginning to discover that those healthy living components that lower your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, or even cancer can also be critical to supporting and sustaining your brain health as you enter your later years. For a good review and primer on what we already know about the connection between a healthy lifestyle and a healthy aging brain, take a look here.

New research continues to underscore this connection and highlight what you can do to improve your odds of good cognitive health as you get older. First, consider a new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Looking at the connection between brain volume and physical activity among older adults, researchers used MRI brain scans of over 10,000 adults to find an association between those who engaged in such physical activity as walking or playing a sport and large brain volumes in those areas of the brain related to memory and decision making. The reasons for this increase in brain volume due to exercise are not entirely clear but what is increasingly clear is that exercise not only plays a role in lowering your risk of dementia but also helps maintain brain volume, which likely leads to sustained cognitive abilities into your later years.

And if your healthy lifestyle also includes watching what you eat, how much you eat, and even intermittent fasting, then you’re also likely contributing to the preservation of your brain health. According to a new study out of The Buck Institute and published in Nature Communications, a gene was discovered (OXR1) that plays an important role in protecting the brain and maintaining its resilience in the face of aging. When calorie restriction or intermittent fasting are then utilized, they seem to enhance the neuroprotective qualities of this gene. This gene also plays an important role in extending a person’s life span. For more on this research and the value of a controlled diet in the preservation of brain health, cut your dinner portion in half and click here.