A clinical neuropsychologist wishes everyone would do these three things to improve their brain health

We all want our bodies to be healthy, which to most of us means healthy hearts, muscles, bones and joints. Many of us are thinking about healthy guts, too. But how many people consider their brain health?

Too few, I’d guess, and perhaps that’s because we think of it as a fixed property. But while speaking to Dr Janina Kamm, an assistant professor and clinical neuropsychologist at The Chicago School, I discovered that’s not the case.

“It can change throughout your life,” says Kamm.

And you can support your brain to make these changes and encourage the formation of new neural connections with the choices you make every day.

Your brain’s ability to make new connections—to change structure and function—is called brain plasticity or neuroplasticity.

“The word ‘plastic’ in plasticity highlights that your brain is moldable or shapeable,” says Kamm.

“When you learn something new, for example, your brain forms new connections, which can alter the function and even the physical structure of your brain.”

Why is neuroplasticity important?

Kamm explains that everyone can benefit from promoting neuroplasticity.

“A brain that stays plastic is a more resilient brain,” says Kamm.

“Beyond aging well and maintaining functional abilities for longer, [it] promotes emotional flexibility, which makes you better able to manage stress, and quicker to acquire new skills.

“In short, investing in your brain’s health will help you feel more adaptable, emotionally steady and mentally agile at every stage of life.”

How to improve your neuroplasticity

Contrary to popular belief, Kamm says that brain training, like we often see advertised in apps and books, isn’t all that helpful.

You can train your brain as you might train your muscles, but perhaps not in the way you envisage.

“Brain training games and other applications advertising themselves as cognitive assessment and skill-building tools are unlikely to help with cognitive functioning,” says Kamm.

“We have mountains of evidence at this point to suggest brain training games offer very little benefit to the average user, if any at all.”

Instead, Kamm suggests focusing on the three lifestyle habits below to promote a healthy, plastic brain.

1. Exercise regularly

“Physical activity at a moderate level of intensity increases production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),” says Kamm. “This is essentially a ‘fertilizer’ for brain cells that promotes the growth of new neural connections in your brain. It’s one of the most consistently supported interventions in neuroscience.”

Kamm explains that while there is still some debate around how best to exercise and for how long for brain health, you shouldn’t get caught up in the detail. All movement is good.

“I recommend an intensity level and duration that is consistently cited in research on aging; that is, moderate intensity exercise for 30 minutes, five times per week,” she says.

This includes activities like brisk walking, light cycling, swimming at a comfortable pace, and dancing.

2. Get enough sleep

“Your brain consolidates new learning and has a clean-up crew—your glymphatic system—working hard to remove metabolic waste during your sleep,” says Kamm.

“Chronic sleep deprivation impairs the brain’s ability to form and stabilize new connections from learning. This puts the brakes on plasticity.”

Improving your sleep is harder to do than starting to exercise more, but Kamm says there are factors in your control that can make getting high-quality sleep easier.

“Small changes to your sleep habits, like keeping a regular bedtime, sleeping in a dark, cool environment, limiting screen time before bed, and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, can make a meaningful difference over time,” she says.

“If sleep problems persist, evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) have a strong track record and are worth discussing with your doctor. Your doctor can also evaluate you for medical conditions that may be contributing to poor sleep.”

3. Maintain social connections

Loneliness can be lethal. It increases your risk of premature death by between 26% and 29%, according to a report by the U.S. surgeon general.

“Social interaction engages multiple brain systems simultaneously (language, emotion, memory, attention), and frequent socialization with others is associated with slower cognitive decline and greater cognitive reserve in aging,” says Kamm.

“Cognitive reserve is essentially a buffer that helps your brain withstand normal age-related changes or even injury without as much loss of your functional abilities.

“Social isolation, by contrast, has clear and measurable negative effects on brain structure and functioning over time.”

About our expert

About our expert

Dr Janina Kamm

Dr Janina Kamm is an assistant professor and clinical neuropsychologist at The Chicago School. She is the faculty course leader for neuropsychological coursework, mentoring PhD candidates in her specialist area of clinical neuropsychology.