10 Hobbies for Older Adults That Improve Brain and Body Health

Americans often gain more leisure time as they age, likely a natural consequence of fewer child-rearing responsibilities and, eventually, retirement from paid work. How we use that time has a huge impact on how we age, both mentally and physically.

A recent study of 700,000 U.S. veterans presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition found eight lifestyle habits that could add 24 years to your life, even if you adopt them in your 40s, 50s, and 60s. You likely won't be surprised by the recommendations: exercise, eat well, don't binge-drink alcohol, sleep well, don't smoke, stay free of opioid addiction, keep stress down, and maintain a vibrant social life. But there's even more you can do to live well longer: Incorporate some of these hobbies into your routine to maintain vital brain and body health.

Walking

For years we've been told that high-intensity aerobic activity is the key to a long and healthy life. It turns out that simply putting one foot in front of the other may be enough to increase brain volume and enhance neuroplasticity. (Neuroplasticity can be loosely translated as our brain's ability to adapt and change.)

One study found that older men and women (average age 70) who were more active had a lower risk of dying compared to those who were sedentary. Those who ran and played racquet sports reaped the most benefit, but walking was a close second. And a recent review of existing research determined that as few as 4,000 steps a day could be the magic number for longer, healthier life.

"I used to be a flag waver for high-intensity but now I think walking is the best possible activity," says Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Make sure you walk regularly and find a buddy to support you.

 New-to-You Sports

Though walking is just as good for you as more strenuous activities, if you want that extra challenge, step it up a bit. Consider the case of Olga Koteko, a teacher in Saskatchewan, Canada, who took up various track and field events including sprinting, triple jumps, and throwing the discus in her 70s and was breaking world records right up to her death at age 95.

Art Kramer, PhD, founding director of the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University, had an opportunity to do some MRI testing on Koteko while she was alive. When he asked her why he'd never seen any photos of her pole vaulting, she replied, "I had to give that up in my 80s."

Among other things, the MRIs revealed that the white matter tracts in her brain were similar to those of women decades younger. These areas of the brain are engaged in reasoning, planning, and self-control. In other words, those with functions most vulnerable to aging.

Learning New Languages

"There's increasing scientific evidence that learning new things throughout the life span is neuroprotective," says Kramer. (Fun fact: Kramer's 103-year-old aunt is currently learning Italian for the first time.)

It doesn't have to be a new language, but languages may hold a special benefit. A small 2019 study of adults aged 59 to 79 found that those involved in a four-month-long second language program saw gains in cognition. This builds on a 2014 study, which reported that participants who spoke two languages maintained more of their cognitive abilities as they aged. This included people who learned a second language later in adulthood.

Quilting (or Photography)

A landmark study led by Denise C. Park, PhD, director of research at the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas Dallas, randomized one group of adults aged 60 to 90 to learn quilting, digital photography, or both—skills that activate working memory, episodic memory, and reasoning—spending about 16 hours a week over three months. The other group was assigned less demanding asks like crosswords and socializing. The findings? "Learning quilting and photography adds new knowledge," says Park.

Testing at the end of the three-month period showed that those in the formal learning group had enhanced memory and processing speed compared to the control group. It wasn't just the learning, the authors surmised, but also the social environment and the perceptual motor skills required that made the difference. "I think people underestimate the impact of socialization," says Park. Many other activities may bestow the same benefit. "Having interests is really important, but you have to be able to afford it," she says.

Pursuing Education

The benefits of new learning don't stop at quilting and photography. Look for anything that challenges you. It could even be mastering a new remote control, says Baker. "When we retire, a lot of the challenges we have normally in our work life disappear," she says. "It's extremely important that a person is challenged on a regular basis."

Challenges activate a different part of the brain, the cerebellum, which governs more automatic and reflexive behavior. It automizes tasks and frees up energy for new stuff, says Baker. With the internet, it's easy to find new opportunities to learn and engage. "It's almost an infinite universe of things you can learn," says Kramer.

Try local adult centers, local community-college, continuing ed programs, university extension programs, and of course, the web. Whatever you choose to learn, set milestones or goals to help you stick with it, says Baker. "Unless we have some objective of where we want to go, we do it for a few days, then we stop," she says. "The brain needs regular stimulation, not just two days this month, but every day this month."

One of the beauties of growing older is that we don't have to take new tests, at least not the traditional school variety. On the other hand, studying for an exam may be just the motivation you need to acquire a new body of knowledge.

A now classic study published in 2011 looked at people studying for certification as taxi drivers in London, a notoriously difficult task. Candidates have to master the maze of some 25,000 streets, alleys and boulevards making up one of the world's largest cities—known as "The Knowledge." The researchers found that those who passed the exam had an increase in gray matter and enhanced memory.

"Milestones or goals help you stick with it," says Baker. "Unless we have some objective of where we want to go, we do it for a few days, then we stop. The brain needs regular stimulation, not just two days this month, but every day this month."

Teaching

Many people in retirement have skills that others would like to learn. While teaching a class doesn't sound like it would involve acquisition of new knowledge, it actually does. "When you teach a class, you really have to know the material more than when you're sitting there as a student," says Kramer. "I've learned the most when I've taught. I have to anticipate what students ask. I have to dig into it more."

Kramer recently taught a class at the request of a student and found he put a lot of effort into putting together lectures and classes to make them more interactive and participatory than they were when he was at school. "The model 50 years ago was to sit back and maybe ask a question or two," he says. That stretched his mind. Many of the same institutions and organizations that offer classes are also looking for teachers. 

Juggling

Several studies have pinpointed juggling as one new skill that can be especially helpful in preserving brain and body. A 2022 review of 11 studies looking at the effect of juggling on the brain found enhanced neuroplasticity.

"Juggling is a complex perceptual motor task," says Kramer. "You have to know where the balls are, anticipate them, move your arms. And as the review authors point out, juggling doesn't require special equipment, can be done sitting or standing and doesn't require an instructor. You can also do it alone or with others."

Dancing

Dancing is another form of physical activity that may slow down aging, with one study of healthy older adults linking dance with positive changes in the hippocampus (a brain region associated with aging), similar to that of endurance training. Dancing also led to improved balance, while endurance training did not.

Participants attended weekly dance classes or did endurance and flexibility training including cycling or Nordic walking for 18 months. While the endurance did the same thing over and over, the dancers were tasked with new routines each week, from jazz to line dancing to square dancing. The extra challenge of remembering and learning routines may have made the difference. And as another study pointed out, dancing can get you out of the house.

Video Games

While video games and screens have been blamed for many of society's ills, used the right way may actually help keep you young. Researchers from the University of California Irvine monitored a group of adults ages 60 to 80 as they played either Angry Birds or Super Mario 3D World on a Nintendo Wii U. Participants didn't have prior experience with video games. Meanwhile, a control group played Solitaire on a computer.

The video game group showed improvements in memory, a prime casualty of aging. The gains were seen after four weeks of playing, indicating that 10 to 20 hours of play is needed to see an effect. The authors speculated that the changes, which lasted for another four weeks after the individuals stopped playing, were partly due to the three-dimensional environment of Super Mario.

Mindfulness

While a certain amount of stress in life is inevitable, too much can result in a variety of health woes and may even shorten your life. Older adults may be particularly at risk as research indicates the stress hormone cortisol increases after middle age.

All of the above hobbies can help reduce stress, but so can mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, or even writing in a journal. Or try getting a pet (or just hanging around one); they may improve memory and energy levels, according to one study.

All of the Above

With so many healthful hobbies, how do you choose? Actually, you don't. "If the whole goal of protecting the body and brain, it's not just one challenge," says Baker, lead researcher on the pioneering U.S. Pointer clinical trial, which is evaluating whether lifestyle interventions that address multiple risk factors can forestall cognitive decline. "It's exercise plus diet plus cognitive stimulation plus social engagement."

Another trial, conducted in Finland, has found that exercise, along with nutritional support, cognitive training, socialization, and addressing heart risk factors worked better than any drug in protecting the brains of older adults with no preexisting dementia. Park's research has also found that multitasking does good things for the brain.