A Habit Shared By Long-lived People That Helps Maintain Mental Clarity Has Been Identified

• 2.10.2026, 13:57

It promotes brain health in older adults.

Researchers have uncovered the secret to longevity among residents of the so-called “Blue Zones”—regions where people often live past the age of 100 while maintaining mental clarity and good health.

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What lifestyle helps maintain mental sharpness?

Neurologist and New York University professor Wendy Suzuki has dedicated her research to the effects of physical activity on the brain. According to her, even just one workout a day can reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline by 30 percent.

She notes that residents of “Blue Zones” do not follow strict diets or restrict their food intake. Their lifestyle involves constant movement—they live in mountainous regions, walk regularly, and rarely eat red meat, preferring plant-based foods.

Dr. Suzuki highlights two key ways that physical activity affects the brain. First, numerous studies confirm that regular exercise helps manage stress and anxiety. Second, exercise helps improve concentration and strengthen cognitive abilities.

A recent experiment conducted on laboratory mice showed that in animals that were physically active, the level of tau protein tangles—one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease—decreased by 63 percent. Although the study is currently limited to animals, scientists are confident that similar effects are possible in humans. They plan to conduct larger-scale clinical trials in the near future.

“Residents of ‘blue zones’ maintain mental clarity and remain active even after turning 100,” the expert emphasizes.