There are many ways to reduce your risk of getting dementia by promoting brain health. Lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, socializing, sleeping enough, eating well, and managing chronic medical conditions are prime examples.

Regular Exercise and Social Connection

Physical activity can help prevent cognitive decline, so exercising regularly is important to reduce dementia risk in older adults. Learn more about how exercise and other lifestyle changes may reduce the risk of dementia here.

Engaging socially with others can lower stress-induced damage to brain cells. Having conversations, volunteering, or visiting community groups helps stimulate neural pathways.

To find where to exercise or socialize in your area, visit the Arkansas Association of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) here to find local senior and community centers. You may also use the Community Resource Finder to locate Adult Day Health and Adult Day Health Care centers here.

Sleep

Healthy sleep habits like getting 7 to 9 hours every night, sticking to a regular routine, and creating the right environment promotes brain health and prevents decline. Learn about how to get better sleep here.

Some key ways healthy sleep promotes brain health include:

• Clears toxins
• Strengthens memories and learning
• Improves focus and problem-solving
• Repairs neural pathways

Learn more about why sleep is important for the brain here.

Nutrition

What you eat makes a big difference in the health of your brain. A balanced diet that is high in nutrients is a great way to reduce your risk of dementia.

Some key ways healthy nutrition promotes brain health include:

• Strengthens memories and learning
• Improves brain structure and aging
• Improves mood
• Reduces inflammation and damage

Learn more about how to eat right for brain health here and how diet affects your brain over your lifetime here.

Chronic Disease Management

Managing chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity is an important part of reducing your risk of dementia.

Some key ways diabetes can increase your risk include:

• Vascular damage
• Insulin resistance
• Chronic inflammation
• Low or high blood sugar
• Other risk factors

Learn more about managing blood sugar through diet, exercise, and medication here.

Some key ways heart disease can increase your risk include:

• Less blood flow to the brain
• Vascular damage
• Chronic inflammation
• Irregular heartbeats
• Trouble pumping blood to heart

Learn more about preventing and managing heart disease here.