You may be 65 years old on paper, but your brain might be functioning like it’s 55—or 75—depending on how you live your life.
A new study from the University of Florida shows that your daily habits and emotional outlook can play a big role in how quickly your brain ages.
The research found that being optimistic, getting good quality sleep, managing stress well, and having strong social connections are all linked to better brain health. Even people with long-term pain, such as joint problems or arthritis, can experience these brain benefits by maintaining healthy routines.
“These are things people can actually work on,” said Dr. Jared Tanner, one of the study’s lead authors. “You can learn to handle stress better. Sleep problems can be treated. And even optimism is something you can practice.”
To understand how lifestyle affects brain aging, the team studied 128 adults who were either middle-aged or older. Most of them had chronic pain caused by or related to knee problems.
Over a two-year period, each person had MRI scans of their brain. The researchers used computer models to estimate how “old” each brain looked, then compared this with the person’s actual age. The difference, called the “brain age gap,” gave a picture of each participant’s brain health.
Some people had brains that looked older than their real age, especially those facing challenges like chronic pain, lower income, or fewer years of education. But the researchers found something surprising: over time, those disadvantages mattered less, and healthy habits mattered more.
People who had the most health-promoting behaviors—such as regular sleep, no smoking, healthy weight, good stress coping skills, and strong relationships—started with brains that appeared eight years younger than their actual age. Even better, their brains continued to age more slowly over the two-year period.
Dr. Kimberly Sibille, another lead researcher on the project, said the message is clear: good habits help your brain stay healthier as you age. “Healthy behaviors aren’t just good for your body,” she explained. “They seem to actually protect your brain over time.”
The research was published in the journal Brain Communications and was conducted by experts from multiple departments at the University of Florida.
Scientists have long known that as the brain gets older, it becomes more vulnerable to problems like memory loss and dementia. Earlier studies often looked at small parts of the brain, but this study looked at the brain as a whole.
That’s important because stress, pain, and life events affect large areas of the brain. The “brain age gap” helps measure how much those things are speeding up—or slowing down—brain aging.
Even though this study focused on people with chronic pain, the researchers believe the findings apply to most people. Good sleep, social support, and learning to manage stress can help anyone keep their brain healthier for longer.
“For every healthy behavior you add, your brain seems to benefit,” said Dr. Sibille. “This supports what more and more research is telling us: that your lifestyle is like medicine for your brain.”
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
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