To stay sharper while aging, get active, challenge your brain, and eat healthy

By LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press WASHINGTON AP It s official Older Americans worried about cognitive decline can stay sharper for longer by exercising both their bodies and their brains and eating healthier That s according to initial results disclosed Monday from a rigorous U S scrutiny of lifestyle changes in seniors at danger of emerging dementia People following a combination of healthier habits slowed typical age-related cognitive decline achieving scores on brain tests as if they were a year or two younger researchers published in JAMA and at the Alzheimer s Association International Conference It s not too late to get started research participants were in their s and s and it doesn t require becoming a pickleball champ or swearing off ice cream It was the first time I felt like I was doing something proactive to protect my brain disclosed Phyllis Jones of Aurora Illinois who joined the evaluation after caring for her mother with dementia and struggling with her own wellness problems In this photo provided by Phyllis Jones she prepares a smoothie with spinach frozen blueberries almond milk with pumpkin spice and date sugar at home in Aurora Ill on Friday July Courtesy Phyllis Jones via AP It s too soon to know if stalling age-related decline also could reduce the menace of later Alzheimer s or other forms of dementia But Jones and other survey participants underwent brain scans and blood tests that researchers now are analyzing for clues such as whether people also saw a reduction in Alzheimer s-related protein buildup We re all on a cognitive aging clock and anything we can do to slow that clock down to me that is a major benefit explained Laura Baker of Wake Forest University School of Medicine who led the investigation What s good for the heart is good for the brain Doctors have long encouraged physical activity and a healthy diet for brain fitness Those initiatives fight high blood pressure and cholesterol heart ailment and diabetes factors that increase the peril of dementia But until now the strongest evidence that specific lifestyle changes later in life could improve how people perform on brain tests came from a investigation in Finland Would it work for a more sedentary and culturally diverse U S population With funding from the Alzheimer s Association and the National Institute on Aging Baker s unit tested the strategy for two years in adults ages to Related Articles Amid PFAS fallout a Maine physician navigates therapeutic risks with her patients Judge blocks Trump administration s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood South Boston mom calls for change after -year-old jabbed by needle in park Louisiana upholds its HIV exposure law as other states change or repeal theirs Georgia shows rough road ahead for states as Medicaid work requirements loom Here s what research participants had to do Half of participants were randomly assigned to group classes for exercise and dietary changes plus brain-challenging homework with peer patronage and coaches tracking their progress They did a half-hour of moderately intense exercise four times a week plus twice a week they added to minutes of stretching and to minutes of resistance training They followed the MIND diet that stresses lots of leafy greens and berries plus whole grains poultry and fish Nothing is banned but it urges limiting red meat fried or fast food and sweets and substituting olive oil for butter and margarine They also had to meet someone or try something new weekly and do brain exercises using an online scheme called Brain HQ Other investigation participants the control group received brain-healthy advice and minimal coaching they chose what initiatives to follow Both improved but the groups fared significantly better Combining social engagement with exercise and dietary approaches may be key announced Jessica Langbaum of the Banner Alzheimer s Institute who wasn t involved with the inquiry Americans want to have that one easy thing If I just eat my blueberries Langbaum reported There is no one magic bullet It is a whole lifestyle How to exercise your body and mind on your own Moderately intense physical activity means raising your heart rate and panting a bit yet still able to talk stated Wake Forest s Baker Pick something safe for your physical capability and start slowly just minutes at a time until you can handle more she cautioned Make it something you enjoy so you stick with it Likewise there are multiple options for brain exercise Baker announced puzzles joining a book club learning an instrument or a new language Jones a application engineer-turned-tester learned she loves blueberry-spinach smoothies Her favorite exercise uses an at-home virtual reality campaign that lets her work up a sweat while appearing to be in another country and communicating with other online users One challenge How to keep up the good work Researchers will track examination participants healthcare for four more years and the Alzheimer s Association is preparing to translate the findings into local group programs Will people with stick with their new habits Jones lost pounds saw her heart physical condition improve and feels sharper especially when multitasking But she hadn t realized her diet slipped when assessment coaching ended until a checkup spotted rising blood sugar Now she and an -year-old friend from the investigation are helping keep each other on track The lifestyle change did not just affect me physically it also affected me mentally and emotionally It brought me to a much better place Jones declared The Associated Press Vitality and Science Department receives aid from the Howard Hughes Anatomical Institute s Department of Science Development and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content