Your age might say you’re 65, but your brain could be acting more like it’s 55—or even 75—depending on how you live your life.
That’s the key takeaway from a new study by researchers at the University of Florida, who found that certain lifestyle habits—like getting good sleep, staying optimistic, and having strong social support—are linked to a younger, healthier brain.
The researchers followed 128 adults, most of them middle-aged or older and living with long-term pain caused by knee osteoarthritis or other musculoskeletal conditions. Over a two-year period, they used MRI scans and artificial intelligence to estimate each person’s “brain age.”
This gave them a sense of how old the brain looked in comparison to the person’s actual age. If the brain looked older than the person’s real age, it suggested faster brain aging. A younger-looking brain suggested better overall brain health.
What they found was eye-opening. People who had more positive lifestyle factors—things like good sleep, healthy weight, strong relationships, and low stress—tended to have younger-looking brains.
In fact, those with the most protective habits had brains that appeared up to eight years younger at the start of the study. Even more impressively, their brains continued to age more slowly over the next two years.
On the other hand, people facing more stressful life challenges—like lower income, less education, chronic stress, or ongoing pain—were more likely to have older-looking brains. But these negative influences seemed to have less long-term impact than the positive ones. The takeaway? Good habits seem to matter more than bad ones.
Jared Tanner, a psychology researcher at the University of Florida who helped lead the study, emphasized that many of these healthy habits are within reach. “You can learn to manage stress better.
You can improve your sleep. You can choose to be more optimistic,” he said. Even if someone is dealing with chronic pain, these lifestyle changes can still bring real benefits.
Kimberly Sibille, another lead researcher on the study, said this isn’t just about pain or one health issue. “Healthy behaviors don’t just help you feel better physically—they actually help your brain stay younger,” she said. “It’s like adding years of health to your brain.”
The team published their findings on September 11 in the journal Brain Communications. Their work adds to a growing body of research showing that lifestyle choices have a real biological impact—not just on your heart or weight, but on your brain’s aging process.
While this study focused on people with chronic pain, the results likely apply to everyone. Whether you’re 45 or 75, it’s not too late to protect your brain by sleeping well, staying connected, managing stress, and focusing on what’s good in life.
In the end, the study shows that your everyday choices can either speed up or slow down how your brain ages. The researchers hope these findings inspire people to take simple steps toward better brain health—starting today.
The study is published in Brain Communications.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
