How to Keep Your Brain Healthy as You Age

Key takeaways:

• Brain health includes memory, thinking, mood, movement, senses and the ability to manage daily life.

• Cognitive health is the part of brain health that involves thinking, learning, remembering and making decisions.

• Some changes in speed, attention and memory can be common with age, but memory changes that disrupt daily life should be discussed with your doctor.

• Brain health tips are usually everyday habits: movement, sleep, heart-healthy routines, balanced meals, social connection, stress management and activities that challenge your mind.

• Not all cognitive decline can be stopped, but healthy habits and medical care may help support brain function and address treatable factors.

• Talk with your doctor if memory, focus, mood, sleep or daily routines change in a way that concerns you or people close to you.

What is brain health?

Brain health is the ability your brain has to support thinking, memory, movement, mood, senses and everyday activities. Brain health also includes supporting how well your brain functions as you age and as your health, routines and daily life change.¹

What is cognitive health?

Cognitive health is one part of overall brain health. It refers to your ability to think clearly, learn, remember, concentrate, solve problems and make decisions. You may also hear the term mental acuity, which generally describes how sharp, alert or mentally quick you feel.

These abilities play a role in many everyday activities. For adults in their 50s, 60s and beyond, that may include remembering appointments, following conversations, managing medications, navigating familiar places and staying engaged with the people and activities that matter to you.

Dr. Tammy Lovette, MD, ABFM, vice president and medical director at Mutual of Omaha, says it can be helpful to think about brain health as part of routine health care.

Brain health starts with whole-body habits

The best way to support brain health as you age is to care for your whole body. Your brain depends on blood flow, oxygen, sleep, nutrition, movement, connection and regular medical care. That means brain health is not one habit. It is a pattern.

In Mutual of Omaha’s 2026 Aging Well Survey, adults age 50+ said they were already using several weekly habits to support brain health:

• 74% spent time with friends or family

• 71% exercised

• 68% got seven to eight hours of sleep

• 67% did puzzles, games or learned new skills.*

Brain health does not have to start with something complicated. It can begin with a walk, a better bedtime, a check-in with a friend or a doctor visit you have been putting off.

What helps support better brain health?

Many brain health habits overlap. A walk may support circulation, sleep and mood. A cooking class may involve learning, social connection and healthier meals. A regular bedtime can help memory, energy and stress.

8 brain health tips for adults over 50

1. Keep your body moving

Physical activity is one of the best-supported habits for brain health. The CDC notes that physical activity can help with thinking, learning, problem-solving, memory and emotional balance.²

It’s easier to get started than you think, and habits can be built into your daily routines. The best exercises for brain health after 50 are often the ones you can do consistently, including walking, gardening, dancing, swimming, biking, yoga, housework and recreational activities.

Dr. Lovette keeps the advice practical. “The best exercise for brain health is something that gets you moving regularly and that you can keep doing.”

If you have been inactive, have a chronic condition, have balance concerns or are returning after an injury, talk with your doctor before starting or changing your exercise routine.

2. Care for your heart and blood vessels

What is good for your heart is often good for your brain. Your brain depends on healthy circulation, so habits that support blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood flow may also support long-term cognitive health.

“Brain health and cardiovascular health are closely connected because the brain depends on healthy circulation,” Lovette says.

Regular checkups can help you understand your numbers and decide what changes make sense for your health history. Ask your doctor how often to check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or a family history of those conditions.

For more guidance on food choices that support heart health, read Mutual of Omaha’s guide to heart-healthy foods.

3. Make sleep part of your brain health routine

Sleep gives your brain time to process information, strengthen memories and recover from the day. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, it can be harder to focus, remember details, manage emotions and make decisions.³

As Dr. Lovette explains, “Sleep is when memories from the day are organized and consolidated in the brain.”

Sleep patterns can change as you get older. You may wake more easily, feel tired earlier in the evening or have your sleep interrupted by pain, stress, medications or trips to the bathroom. Even as your sleep patterns change, getting enough quality sleep remains an important part of supporting brain health.

Building sleep habits for brain health can start with one small change:

• Wake up around the same time each morning

• Get morning light when possible

• Move during the day

• Keep naps earlier and shorter if they affect nighttime sleep

• Give yourself a quiet wind-down period before bed

• Keep the bedroom cool, dark and comfortable

If you regularly have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling rested during the day, talk with your doctor. They can help identify possible causes and recommend next steps.

4. Eat in a way that supports your whole body

There is no single food that keeps the brain healthy by itself. A brain-supportive eating pattern usually looks a lot like a heart-healthy pattern and includes many of the best foods for brain health: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, fish, nuts, seeds, unsaturated fats and fewer heavily processed foods.

NIH has reported that several healthy eating patterns, including Mediterranean-style, DASH and MIND-style eating patterns, are tied to healthier aging outcomes.⁴ Don’t worry about following a perfect diet, rather, try to build meals that support your body over time.

A few simple places to start:

• Add leafy greens or another vegetable to lunch or dinner

• Choose whole grains more often than refined grains

• Add beans or lentils to soups, salads or bowls

• Eat fish when it fits your preferences and budget

• Snack on fruit, nuts or yogurt instead of relying mostly on sweets or chips

• Choose water more often when you are thirsty

Dr. Lovette keeps this realistic. “Food is one of life’s joys, so healthy eating should still leave room for moderation and enjoyment.”

Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making major diet changes, especially if you manage diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease or another condition that affects what you eat.

5. Stay socially connected

Staying socially connected can support both cognitive health and emotional well-being. Conversations, shared activities and meaningful relationships can help keep your brain engaged, especially during life changes such as retirement, caregiving, an empty nest, moving or the loss of someone close.

As Dr. Lovette explains, “Social connection is extremely important for cognitive health and emotional well-being.”

Staying connected doesn’t have to mean filling your calendar. It could be calling a friend every Sunday, joining a walking group, taking a class, volunteering, sharing a meal with family or setting up a recurring video call with adult children or grandchildren.

If loneliness, isolation or changes in your mood are affecting your daily life, talk with your doctor or a mental health professional. Depression and anxiety can affect memory, focus and motivation for some people.

6. Challenge your brain with something new

Brain games for adults, puzzles and word games can be fun, but the brain benefits most from activities that keep you engaged and learning. “If one brain game becomes too easy, choose something new,” Dr. Lovette says. “New challenges help create new neural connections.”

Ways to stimulate brain activity include:

• Learning a language or musical instrument

• Trying a new recipe, playing cards or strategy games

• Reading something that makes you think

• Taking a class

• Learning a new phone or computer skill

• Volunteering in a new role

• Practicing recall techniques

Brain games should not replace sleep, movement, social connection or medical care. Think of them as one piece of the routine, not the whole plan.

7. Make room for recovery in your day

Stress can affect more than your mood. It can make it harder to focus, learn and remember and can also interfere with sleep and motivation.

As Dr. Lovette explains, “Stress management is part of brain health because chronic stress can make it harder to focus, learn and remember.”

In Mutual of Omaha’s Aging Well Survey, 32% of adults age 50+ said stress gets in the way of taking care of their brain health. Another 27% said they aren’t sure what to do.*

Managing stress doesn’t have to become another big task on your list. Start with one small opportunity during the day to pause, move, connect with someone or step away from the source of stress. Over time, those moments can become a regular part of caring for your brain and overall health.

That could mean taking a short walk, calling someone you trust, sitting outside for a few minutes, practicing slow breathing, writing down what you need to remember, turning off notifications for part of the evening or asking for help with a task that feels overwhelming.

If stress is persistent or is affecting your sleep, mood or daily life, talk with your doctor or a mental health professional about what you’re experiencing.

8. Talk with your doctor about memory or focus changes

Memory, mood and focus are connected to overall health. For some people, memory or concentration changes may be related to sleep problems, depression, anxiety, medication side effects, hearing loss, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol use, blood pressure, blood sugar or other health factors.

Dr. Lovette emphasizes that “doctors can help identify whether cognition is being affected by sleep, medications, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, depression or other health factors.”

Talk with your doctor if memory or focus changes:

• Become more frequent

• Interfere with daily routines

• Affect safety, driving, cooking, medication use or finances

• Come with mood, sleep, balance or personality changes

• Are noticed repeatedly by family or close friends

• Begin after a medication change

Bring a current medication list and a few examples of what you have noticed. You might say, “I have been more forgetful lately, and it is starting to affect my routine. Could we talk about possible causes?”

Brain changes with age: what is common and when to ask for help

Some changes can be part of aging

Some changes in thinking can be a normal part of getting older. You may take longer to learn a new app, need more reminders or occasionally walk into a room and forget why you went there.

As Dr. Lovette explains, “Some age-related decline is normal. A 70-year-old brain is not usually as fast as a 30-year-old brain, but healthy habits may help support cognitive health over time.”

That doesn’t mean every cognitive skill changes in the same way. “As people get older, some cognitive skills tend to hold up better than others,” Dr. Lovette says. “Knowledge and familiar skills often remain strong, while multitasking, attention and processing speed may change.”

The important distinction is whether a change is simply slowing you down or making it harder to manage everyday tasks you’ve handled before. If changes in memory, thinking or behavior feel unusual for you or begin affecting daily life, talk with your doctor.

Normal forgetfulness vs. signs to discuss with your doctor

A simple comparison can help you decide when to pay closer attention. NIA notes that mild forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging, but more serious memory problems may be connected to conditions such as mild cognitive impairment, dementia or other health issues.⁵

Can you stop cognitive decline?

Not all cognitive decline can be stopped. Age, genetics, medical conditions, brain injuries and other factors can all play a role.

However, healthy habits may help support cognitive health over time, and medical care can help identify treatable factors that affect thinking, memory or focus.

Dr. Lovette offers an important reminder: “Healthy habits may support brain health, but they cannot guarantee that someone will avoid Alzheimer’s or other cognitive conditions.”

Take action where you can. Avoid blaming yourself for factors you cannot control. And talk with your doctor when something changes.

A simple brain health routine to start this week

You do not need to change everything at once. Pick one or two ideas that fit your life now.

A healthier brain routine does not need to be dramatic. Lovette advises, “A healthy brain routine does not have to be complicated. It can start with planning healthier meals and taking a walk every day.”

Frequently asked questions about brain health

When should you start thinking about brain health?

It is never too early to build habits that support brain health, but midlife and later adulthood can be a good time to pay closer attention. Sleep, movement, heart health, food choices, social connection and stress management can all become part of a routine that supports how you want to live as you age.

Do brain health supplements work?

There is no single supplement proven to keep your brain healthy or restore memory for everyone. For some people, a vitamin deficiency may affect thinking or energy, but supplements should not replace sleep, movement, nutrition, social connection or medical care. Talk with your doctor before taking supplements for memory or brain health, especially if you take medications.

Can dehydration affect memory or focus?

For some people, not getting enough fluids can make it harder to feel alert and focused. Water needs vary based on health conditions, medications, activity level and climate, so talk with your doctor if you are unsure how much fluid is right for you.

Does hearing loss affect brain health?

Hearing changes can make conversations harder to follow, which may affect social connection, focus and daily confidence. If you are asking people to repeat themselves, avoiding conversations or turning up the volume more than usual, talk with your doctor about whether a hearing check makes sense.

Can medications affect memory or focus?

For some people, medication side effects or interactions can affect memory, focus, sleep or energy. Do not stop taking a medication without talking with your doctor. Bring a current medication list to your next appointment and ask whether any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications or supplements could be affecting how you feel.

What is the number one cause of cognitive decline?

There is not one cause of cognitive decline that explains every person’s experience. Age, genetics, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, stroke, heart and blood vessel health, sleep, depression, medications, alcohol use, hearing loss and chronic conditions can all play a role. A doctor can help evaluate possible causes and decide what testing or treatment may be appropriate.

Can cognitive health improve?

For some people, cognitive symptoms can improve when an underlying issue is addressed, such as poor sleep, depression, medication side effects, hearing loss, thyroid problems or vitamin deficiencies. Healthy habits may also help support brain function over time. Talk with your doctor before assuming memory or focus changes are only part of aging.

Sources:

*Mutual of Omaha utilized research vendor quantilope to conduct a five-minute online survey about Aging Well. The study included 400 adults age 50 and older with annual household incomes of at least $50,000. Research was conducted June 17-21, 2026.

1.     National Institute on Aging, What Is Brain Health?, June 5, 2025, accessed July 2026. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/what-brain-health

2.     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health, Aug. 13, 2025, accessed July 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity/features/boost-brain-health.html

3.     National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep, Feb. 25, 2025, accessed July 2026. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep

4.     National Institutes of Health, Midlife Eating Patterns Tied to Health Decades Later, April 1, 2025, accessed July 2026. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/midlife-eating-patterns-tied-health-decades-later

5.     National Institute on Aging, Age-Related Forgetfulness or Signs of Dementia?, June 5, 2025, accessed July 2026. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-loss-and-forgetfulness/age-related-forgetfulness-or-signs-dementia