Learning a new skill or doing mentally stimulating activities can help protect your brain from dementia. (Getty Creative)
As the year winds down and the holiday hubbub clears, you may find yourself tempted to grab the TV remote to settle in for a marathon binge-watching session of all the Netflix shows you haven't been able to make time for this year. But before you hit the pause button on your brain to fade into a days-long mental zone-out, consider this: Switching out your screen time for a few more mentally engaging activities could actually help preserve brain health and prevent dementia in the long run.
A new study of 397 adults age 60 and older found that intellectual activities like reading, writing, playing and listening to music, talking to friends and crafting are better for brain health than screen time. While sedentary behaviors in general are less helpful for maintaining cognitive health than staying physically active, the study authors determined that the types of sedentary activities engaged in vary in their impact on cognitive function. This suggests a hierarchy in which some behaviors enhance mental function, while others impair it.
"Engaging in mentally stimulating activities is like giving your brain a good workout," explains Jessica Corona-Irwin, RN, certified dementia practitioner and certified dementia support group facilitator at Remo Health. "These activities help build what is known as "cognitive reserve," which is your brain's ability to adapt and keep functioning well even in the face of damage or aging. When you learn something new or challenging, your brain starts forming new connections between neurons and strengthens existing ones. This process is like creating multiple paths in a forest. The more paths you have, the easier it is to navigate, even if some paths become blocked or less efficient," she says.
Dementia is a distressing condition for the individual and their loved ones. It gradually affects memory and thinking skills, leaving people unable to perform daily activities. Currently more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year.
In the United States alone, approximately 7 million individuals age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia.
While age and genetics are significant risk factors for dementia, research has identified 12 modifiable lifestyle factors — from excessive alcohol consumption and smoking to obesity, physical inactivity and infrequent social contact — that can influence the likelihood of developing the condition. Addressing these factors could potentially prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases.
Research indicates that regular physical exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of dementia. Increasing physical activity also improves symptoms of depression, anxiety, agitation and psychosis in people living with dementia. And this seems to hold true no matter the amount of physical activity or fitness level — any and all exercise helps. "Staying physically active is one of the biggest game changers — it increases blood flow to the brain, reduces inflammation and supports the growth of new brain cells," says Dr. Harold Hong, board-certified psychiatrist and medical director at New Waters Recovery. Guidelines suggest you should aim to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
You don't have to hit the gym if that's not your thing. Try walking and getting out in nature, enjoying a Zumba or salsa class, or diving in the local pool for some laps. Incorporating physical activities into your weekly routine can contribute significantly to your physical and mental health. The magic formula is consistency and choosing something you enjoy, making it more likely to maintain these healthy habits over time.
Dr. Carole Lieberman, MD, MPH and forensic psychiatrist notes, "It's much more valuable to engage in mentally stimulating activities — from crossword puzzles to card games — than spending that same time as a couch potato."
Corona-Irwin agrees, saying, "Just as a sedentary lifestyle can weaken your muscles, not challenging your brain can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline. Whether taking a class, joining a book club or even playing a strategic board game with friends, the key is staying engaged and curious. These activities not only benefit your cognitive health, but also enhance your overall quality of life, providing a sense of purpose and fulfillment."
Dr. David Perlmutter, board-certified neurologist and bestselling author, suggests several other strategies to keep your mind occupied and stimulated. "Acquiring new skills, taking courses or learning a new language or musical instrument keeps the brain actively engaged and promotes neuroplasticity." Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize and form new connections. He adds, "Arts, crafts, writing and playing music foster innovation and involve complex brain functions that support cognitive resilience." Additionally, "participating in group activities, joining clubs or volunteering helps maintain communication skills and emotional well-being, which are protective for brain health."
"The sooner you add mentally stimulating activities to your daily life, the better," says Lieberman. As Hong explains, "Building cognitive reserve — your brain's ability to adapt and stay resilient — starts in childhood and continues through education, work and life experiences. Challenging your brain early creates a strong foundation to protect against cognitive decline later in life. That said, studies show that regular cognitive engagement, even in later years, can help maintain memory, attention and reasoning skills, slowing the rate of decline. So whether you're in your 30s or your 70s, challenging your brain is always worthwhile."
So on the days when you just don't have the energy or motivation to take a hike outside, you can still support cognitive function by choosing "lazy day" activities that are more stimulating than simply vegging out in front of the TV. With that in mind, we asked Yahoo Life's writers and editors how they plan to stay mentally engaged on these last few, lazy days of the year. Here are the games, activities and mentally stimulating apps that they switch to between their favorite holiday movie marathons.
"I took up needlepoint as a way to get off my phone about a year ago and am now totally obsessed," says Julia Webb, Yahoo Life's shopping manager. "There is something so soothing about it — I love to pick up my WIP (work in progress!) while I listen to a podcast or my last playlist. And I'm not overly artsy, but needlepoint is essentially paint by numbers but with thread, so it's relatively easy to do. When you're done, you're left with a beautiful, handmade piece that can be turned into an ornament, a keepsake or a piece of home decor."
"There's nothing quite like settling in before an empty pegboard with a dish of colored plastic beads on one side, maybe a glass of wine on the other, iron at the ready. You may be acquainted with Perler beads from childhood, but if you haven't revisited the melty-bead designs in adulthood, you're missing out," enthuses Karisa Langlo, Yahoo Life editor.
"Fuse beads scratch the same itch as adult coloring books and are about the same level of creativity. You make a picture out of beads the way a computer does with pixels, then enjoy the satisfying sizzle as the iron fuses your design. You can buy kits to make sea creatures or Star Wars characters, or just get a tub of miscellaneous colors and make something abstract."
Saundra Latham, commerce editor, got into jigsaw puzzles during the pandemic. "They helped me maintain a desperately needed sense of zen at the time. I roped my sister-in-law into my puzzle cult, and now you can reliably find us working on one at every family gathering.
"This Springbok is one of my latest favorites," she says. "I'll warn you that this brand definitely employs some 'creative' puzzle piece shapes (we always joke that their jigsaw operators must drink on the job), so it might not be a good pick for traditionalists, but for us, that makes it even more entertaining. Some might say it's the puzzle brand we love to hate. The good news is that puzzles with lots of distinct images and typography, like this one, are less frustrating than others with wide swaths of muted colors."
"First it was Wordle. Then Connections. Now my obsession is Spelling Bee, the game where you tap out as many words as you can drawing on seven letters," says senior technology writer Rick Broida. "These and other puzzle gems are contained in the NYT Games app, which leverages my inexpensive games-only subscription to the service. This unrivaled collection (which includes, of course, the daily Times crossword) not only frees me from doomscrolling, but also challenges my brain in ways that feel extra necessary right now."
"If you're looking to learn a new instrument, rediscover an old instrument or satisfy that craving for Guitar Hero but with real instruments, there is a Yousician app out there for you," says Amanda Rickert, senior operations analyst. "I stumbled into the Yousician universe when looking for a tuning app for my guitar and found GuitarTuna (which is a great app and helps you tune your guitar, ukulele or bass). Never having taken formal guitar lessons, I wanted to get a little more coaching and found their main app, Yousician, to learn a few techniques and play some fun songs. Let me tell you, it's a blast! The lessons are straightforward and they use popular songs to help you learn."
And apparently, once you get hooked, you'll keep going back for more. Rickert also got the brand's Piano app "to get back into the instrument after abandoning my formal lessons in a childish rage." She points out that the app is appropriate for all levels of learners and even their free version has a robust offering, although she says if you're looking to get more serious you can take advantage of their end-of-year sale.
"I'm a complete disappointment to my family. Even though most of them speak Italian, I've never been able to get past a few need-to-survive sentences. Last year my trilingual brother (nerd!) passive-aggressively gifted me a subscription to Duolingo and, I'm loath to admit, I love it," says Janelle Randazza, commerce editor. "It's so easy to make progress in bite-sized chunks, and the app learns and adapts to your strengths and weaknesses. It's constantly inputting new vocab in my tank and, perhaps best of all, it has a function to help with pronunciation so that I can actually progress conversationally. I haven't yet reached the module that teaches me how to call my brother a nerd in Italian, but I'm working semidiligently to get to that point. Motivation!"
Duolingo offers a robust free version of the app, but the "Super" version is ad-free, offers on-demand speaking and listening practice, and reviews your mistakes to pinpoint areas of weakness. Subscriptions start at $7/month (billed annually for $84) after a two-week free trial.
Reading is another excellent way to feed the brain on down days, and Randazza swears by her Kindle Paperwhite as a tool she can't live without. "To call my Kindle Paperwhite a life changer isn't anywhere near an overstatement. I'm a voracious reader and I'm anti-social media and anti-doomscrolling, so my Kindle is my go-to for when I need a brain break or I have a free chunk of time. My husband got me the water-resistant version, which means it's not just for lounging around the house — I take it in the bath, by the pool and to the beach. The backlight emulates paper and isn't harsh on the eyes, so it's my go-to for those late night reading sessions or when I wake up at 3 a.m. with a random bout of insomnia," she says.
Plus, it's just a practical solution for anyone who loves to read. "It's slim and light but holds a library of books, so it's always in my purse, ready to be flipped open during any free moment," Randazza explains, adding, "It's an absolute must-have for travel — I never board a plane, train or bus without it."
You don't need to satisfy your true crime or murder mystery cravings with a 48 Hours Mystery bender. With these Murdle logic puzzles, you become the detective in charge of solving the case.
"I remember doing a lot of logic puzzles as a kid, and I've rediscovered them as an adult. They're so satisfying when I want to sit down and relax but not necessarily completely turn my brain off and scroll TikTok or the like. With Murdle, all of them have a silly Clue-like twist as you try to solve yet another murder case. And if you want to get a feel for them before picking up the book, you can play a free puzzle online every day," says Latham.
"I took art classes as a kid, and for a brief moment in time, my mother thought I might have enough talent to go to art school (she was sorely disappointed when I decided, as a teenager, that painting and sketching was for nerds). After a trip to Weir Studio several years ago, I decided to take up watercolor again — and while I'm certainly nowhere near as good as I could've been if I didn't decide I was too cool for all that decades ago, I still love getting to sit outside or by a window, and painting," says Izabella Zaydenberg, deputy commerce editor.
She likes this Kuretake set of 24 paints because it's not as overwhelming as some of the larger sets. Plus, each paint can is large enough that it won't run out quickly and you can remove individual colors and switch them out if you find you don't use specific shades very often.
If you're one of the roughly 84% of Americans who tune in to true crime media, maybe take a break from your favorite TV series and opt for a workbook instead. "For anyone who can't get enough of a murder mystery, this workbook has facts on serial killers galore, plus 'clues' to help you solve cases and a whole lot more," says executive editor Nicole Sforza. "You're welcome."
"Mentally stimulating activities are a key piece of the puzzle, but they're most effective when combined with other healthy habits," says Hong. So besides exercise and taking up a new skill, don't overlook the impact of eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.
"Eating foods rich in antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber, like fish, nuts and berries, can support your brain health and protect it from damage," says Corona-Irwin. She continues, "Staying socially active and managing chronic health conditions, like hypertension and diabetes, are equally important. Social interactions can reduce stress and give you a sense of purpose while keeping your health conditions in check, lowering your risk of cognitive decline. Avoiding toxins like tobacco smoke and excessive alcohol and practicing stress management techniques like mindfulness and meditation can further enhance your brain health."
By integrating these strategies into your daily life, you can take proactive steps to support your brain and enjoy a higher quality of life as you age. And who doesn't want that?
Jessica Corona-Irwin, RN, certified dementia practitioner and certified dementia support group facilitator at Remo Health
Dr. Harold Hong, MD, board-certified psychiatrist and medical director at New Waters Recovery, Raleigh, N.C.
Dr. Carole Lieberman, MD, MPH, forensic psychiatrist
Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, board-certified neurologist and bestselling author
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.
