New research shows that careers demanding constant navigation, spatial reasoning, and cognitive engagement may reshape the brain in ways that guard against dementia — and the science behind it is more fascinating than you might expect.

One of the most consistent findings in brain health research is that our brains and by extension their health are majorly impacted by our lives. The brain is exquisitely sensitive to its environment, what you eat, how you sleep, how much you move, how stressed you are. But a compelling and underappreciated line of research is now asking a different kind of question: what about what you believe? Specifically, could your brain beliefs change how it ages?

A recent analysis of participants in the FINGER study tracked about 600 people (average age around 69) for 2 years. Those with better muscle strength and function at the start of the study as measured through tests like grip strength and chair stand had better global cognition, memory, and executive function at the end after correcting for variables like age and comorbidities. However, in some recent publications, there’s a signal that building leg muscle may be especially key to brain health.