This one daily habit can boost brain health and help lower risk of dementia—it's 'very overlooked,' longevity doctor says
There are many things you can do to keep your brain sharp, from eating certain foods to playing memory games. But there's one daily practice for brain health that longevity doctor Dr. Avinish Reddy finds isn't talked about enough.
"The thing that's very overlooked, which I'll always say, is exercise. Regular exercise reduces the risk of dementia," he says.
"There's specific activities that lower your risk for Parkinson's and dementia as well, including racket sports like table tennis and pickleball. Because they use hand-eye coordination."
Hand-eye coordination gets worse as people age because important areas of the brain can decline after the age of 60 without adequate exercise or nutrition, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Having good hand-eye coordination is necessary to remain independent, since it's important for activities like driving and grabbing a handrail, the publication noted.
Playing racket sports like tennis and ping pong can improve hand-eye coordination because "the speed of the moving ball is challenging," occupational therapist Jennifer Packard told Harvard Health Publishing in 2021.
"Your brain has to manage that hand and arm not just where you can see it, but also where you can't see it, as the ball flies by and you reach behind you or to the side."
Engaging in team sports and group fitness activities can not only help you stay active, but they also increase social connection, Reddy notes. Research shows that meeting new people and maintaining personal relationships can improve your happiness and increase your chances of living longer.
"I see patients that are older and if they get hurt, their first reason for wanting to get back exercising is because they're like, 'I want to go back and see my golf friends' or 'I want to go join my pickleball league again, to see my friends,'" he says.
The largest age bracket of pickleball players was 55 and up in 2021, according to SFIA's 2022 Single Sport Participation Report on Pickleball. The social aspect of the sport is a huge draw, according to players who spoke to CNBC Make It in 2023.
"I tell everyone I have made more friends and good acquaintances through pickleball within the last six to seven years than my lifetime," said Ryo Shinagawa, 72 at the time.
Shinagawa played tennis for decades before pivoting to pickleball in 2016. He played pickleball three to four times a week, for about two to three hours, and connected with over 150 acquaintances through the sport.
"It just makes you realize that exercise doesn't have to be that complicated," Reddy says. "And longevity doesn't have to be that complicated."
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