From movement and meals to sleep, social connection, and stress reduction, research shows small, consistent habits can support long-term cognitive health.
As another year begins, many people reset their priorities around health. For brain health in particular, decades of research continue to show that lifestyle habits can shape memory, thinking, and overall resilience to neurodegenerative disease.
Here are seven resolutions backed by recent findings and expert guidance from Being Patient’s coverage.
1. Keep moving — even a little
Exercise has long been linked to better memory and cognitive function. Cleveland Clinic neuropsychologist Dr. Aaron Bonner-Jackson explains that physical activity improves blood flow to the brain, lowers stress hormones, and reduces inflammation — factors essential for supporting brain health. One long term Swedish study found that women who had high physical fitness were 88 percent less likely to develop dementia.
Even light movement throughout the day, such as walking breaks or stretching, contributed to better vascular health and improved cognition in older adults. “The data shows that regular walking can reduce your chances of getting dementia by about 30 percent,” New York University neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki told Being Patient.
“Typically, the maximum benefit comes from mid-level exercise, not exercise that pushes you [so] that you’re so sore and you can’t move the next day, but exercise that causes you to feel really good afterward,” Suzuki said.
When it comes to brain health, every bit of movement counts. Whether it’s walking, swimming, lifting weights, or stretching, building in regular, sustainable activity may help keep your brain sharper and more resilient over time.
2. Prioritize time outdoors — especially “awe walks”
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center encouraged older adults to take weekly “awe walks,” paying closer attention to surrounding details. Participants reported more joy and less daily stress.
“What we show here is that a very simple intervention – essentially a reminder to occasionally shift our energy and attention outward instead of inward – can lead to significant improvements in emotional well-being,” said Virginia Sturm, an author of the study and associate professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, in a news release.
There is additional evidence that people who live in greener neighborhoods appear to experience slower cognitive decline than those in urban areas. A study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health followed 6,500 people in the UK, ages 45 to 68, to see how neighborhood greenery affects brain health. Those living in greener areas had a 4.6 percent slower rate of cognitive decline than people in more urban areas.
“There is evidence that the risk for dementia and cognitive decline can be affected by exposure to urban-related environmental hazards (such as air pollution and noise) and lifestyle (such as stress and sedentary behavior),” said Carmen de Keijzer, first author of the study. “In contrast, living near green spaces has been proposed to increase physical activity and social support, reduce stress and mitigate exposure to air pollution and noise.”
3. Exercise cognition with meaningful mental challenges
Neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Majid Fotuhi often compares brain training to physical workouts: Challenging activities activate networks involved in memory, attention, and processing speed.
“You can work out these different brain areas just like you can work out different muscles.,” Fotuhi told Being Patient.
For example, memorizing a deck of cards or playing fast-paced brain games can help strengthen specific skills like attention or processing speed. In his 12-week brain fitness program, Fotuhi found that 84 percent of patients in their 60s and 70s show measurable improvements in their cognitive abilities when structured brain training is combined with healthy sleep, and lifestyle changes.
4. Build a brain-healthy plate: more plants, fewer ultraprocessed foods
Adhering to the MIND diet, created by Rush University researchers as a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diet, is linked to slower cognitive decline. The MIND diet focuses on vegetables (especially leafy greens), berries, whole grains, fish, beans, and healthy fats like olive oil and nuts, while cutting down on red meat, butter, cheese, sweets, and fried foods.
In a 2015 study of 923 adults in their late 50s to late 90s, researchers found that those who followed the MIND diet most closely had up to a 53 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Even moderate adherence was associated with slower cognitive decline.
“The MIND diet has been shown to be good for heart disease and other things,” neurologist Dr. Marwan Sabbagh told Being Patient. “So if you’re reducing other risk factors, that by extension reduces your neurodegenerative risk.”
There is also evidence that consuming processed red meat is associated with higher dementia risk. In a large U.S. study researchers found that eating processed red meat (like sausages, bacon, hotdogs and salami) was associated with a 16 percent higher dementia risk and faster rate of cognitive aging.
Experts stress that perfection isn’t necessary. Increasing vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and healthy fats remains one of the most evidence-backed strategies for supporting long-term brain health.
5. Protect sleep — the brain’s nightly repair cycle
A growing body of research underscored how essential sleep is for memory, mood regulation, and clearing waste from the brain.
Scientists studying the glymphatic system — the brain’s “washing machine” — found that deep sleep helps clear proteins such as amyloid and tau, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have found that even a single night of poor sleep can raise levels of beta-amyloid in the brain. Both sleeping too little and too much have also been associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“We get this buildup of this grime, this beta-amyloid stuff on our plates, which you can think of as the nerve cells in our brain,” Roger Wong, an assistant professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University told Being Patient. “During the nighttime, when we’re sleeping, all of this is drained away along with the beta-amyloid.”
Experts recommend:
- maintaining consistent bed and wake times
- reducing bright light exposure at night
- treating underlying sleep disorders such as sleep apnea
- limiting caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals close to bedtime
6. Reduce stress and strengthen social connection
Loneliness is a significant public health issue. A study conducted by researchers at Florida State University found that people experiencing loneliness have a 40 percent higher risk of developing dementia later in life.
“Loneliness is a modifiable risk factor,” said Angelina Sutin, the principal investigator on the study, in a statement released by FSU. “Most people might describe periods where they felt lonely and then periods where they didn’t feel lonely. So just because you feel lonely now, you don’t always have to feel this way.”
Additionally, prolonged stress can lead to inflammation which can accelerate cognitive decline.
Stress can be managed through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, sufficient sleep, and by prioritizing mental health.
Researchers continue to emphasize that social engagement is as important for the brain as diet or exercise. Phone calls, shared meals, club meetings, or community events all contribute to cognitive well-being.
7. Support an older loved one’s cognitive health — and build your own resilience
Reminiscence therapy, which helps people with dementia recall memories by using prompts like old photos, music, or familiar objects, can be profoundly therapeutic.
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute senior investigator Dr. Erik B. Larson suggests that memory centers in the hippocampus are likely responsible for holding onto long term memories. “We should strive to treasure the miraculous ability of the brain to hold onto the past as well as it does,” he wrote for Being Patient.
Sharing stories supports mood, identity, and quality of life — and also strengthens cognitive resilience for caregivers and loved ones who participate.
Helping an older loved one thrive can be a resolution that benefits everyone involved.
Being brain-healthier in 2026
Lifestyle matters for brain health. Small, steady changes — more movement, more time outside, more rest, more connection — are supported by strong and growing evidence.
While no single habit can prevent dementia, research continues to show that people who adopt multiple brain-healthy behaviors may reduce their risk or delay symptoms later in life.