New research is offering some actionable steps we can take to protect our minds from memory loss.

A large UK-based study published this week in the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal found that physical and mental activities ― such as doing household chores, exercising or visiting loved ones may help lower the risk of dementia.

The study found certain activities were associated with a lower risk of dementia. People who frequently exercised had a 35% lower risk, people who frequently did household chores had a 21% lower risk and people who visited daily with family and friends had a 15% lower risk.

And while dementia risk factors also include things that are out of our control ― like aging and genetics ― the research underscores that there are behaviors within your power to either reduce your risk of dementia or delay the condition, Dr. Scott Turner, director of the memory disorders program at Georgetown University Medical Center, told HuffPost.

The study does come with a few caveats: The findings are a correlation, not necessarily a direct link. Another limitation is that because people reported their own physical and mental activities, there’s always a chance that some people forgot about activities they engaged in or reported them incorrectly.

“More research is needed to confirm our findings. However, our results are encouraging that making these simple lifestyle changes may be beneficial,” study author Dr. Huan Song of Sichuan University in China, said in a statement.

Source: huffington post