Q: Have you heard anything about a study that identified links between household physical activity and brain health in older adults?

A: Researchers followed 876 people over age 65 for more than 10 years. The study, designed to identify links between household physical activity and brain health in older adults, found that doing household chores can improve the brain health of older adults. Household physical activity was positively associated with larger gray matter volume in older adults. The more time people spent on household chores, the larger their brains. Household chores translate as a light workout, which is known to be beneficial to the brain. People doing household chores are less likely to be sedentary, which is linked with poor brain health. Shrinkage of brain tissue has been linked with a higher risk for developing dementia. Along with lack of physical activity, dehydration—failing to drink sufficient water each day—is also liked with brain shrinkage.

The first author said, “Scientists already know that exercise has a positive impact on the brain, but our study is the first to show that the same may be true for household chores.” At the end of the 10-year study, researchers concluded that regular moderate exercise—including doing household chores—was enough to slow brain aging by the equivalent of 10 years. You might view your household tasks as an anti-aging strategy that is helping you to have a larger brain and better cognitive health. Watching TV hour after hour? Maybe not so much.