There are many things you can do to keep your brain sharp, from eating certain foods to playing memory games. But there’s one daily practice for brain health that longevity doctor Dr. Avinish Reddy finds isn’t talked about enough.
“The thing that’s very overlooked, which I’ll always say, is exercise. Regular exercise reduces the risk of dementia,” he says.
“There’s specific activities that lower your risk for Parkinson’s and dementia as well, including racket sports like table tennis and pickleball. Because they use hand-eye coordination.”
Hand-eye coordination gets worse as people age because important areas of the brain can decline after the age of 60 without adequate exercise or nutrition, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Having good hand-eye coordination is necessary to remain independent, since it’s important for activities like driving and grabbing a handrail, the publication noted.
Playing racket sports like tennis and ping pong can improve hand-eye coordination because “the speed of the moving ball is challenging,” occupational therapist Jennifer Packard told Harvard Health Publishing in 2021.
