The Surprising Ways Older Brains Can Still Grow Stronger

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Mar 16, 2026 - 10:49 Updated: Mar 15, 2026 - 18:24
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The Surprising Ways Older Brains Can Still Grow Stronger

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Marilyn B. forgot her own birthday party—her mind panicked and immediately went to thinking of her mom, who died from Alzheimer’s disease at 67, not recognizing her children and grandchildren. It was the wake-up call she needed to do something about her own brain health. Two years later, Marilyn says her brain has never felt sharper—and science suggests she’s not imagining it.

Many people believe that cognitive decline in aging adults is inevitable. In reality, however, it is often reversible—some of it may not even be detrimental to everyday life.

How the Brain Changes With Age

Brain changes among aging adults may serve a purpose. Slower processing speed, once viewed as a hallmark of aging deficit, may not be a failure. It could simply be a feature.
Two studies found that older adults answered questions more accurately but more slowly than younger adults in both cognitive and emotional processing tasks, and that accuracy prevailed even when motor control—in this case, tracing circles with a stylus pen—was slower among older adults. The latter study noted that the findings could be explained by the brain preserving accuracy as it ages.
However, a third study found that slowing down in some cases reflects structural brain changes, specifically weaker connections in the part of the brain that initiates voluntary movement, thereby physically restraining speed, rather than a reluctance to make mistakes.

Meanwhile, other brain functions improve with age, according to neuroscientist and performance consultant Dr. Tommy Wood, author of “The Stimulated Mind.” Older adults can expect better crystallized intelligence, for instance. That’s a technical word for wisdom, he said, which improves in our 50s and beyond.

“All the things that we’ve experienced, all the knowledge we’ve accumulated, we’re able to put that into the bigger picture and see a more holistic view of things—especially because at that point, we’re less impulsive,” Wood told The Epoch Times.

How to Regain a Strong Mind

Brain functions—including those expected to taper down—can be improved as time goes on, even if decline has begun, Wood said.
He pointed to results of an ongoing randomized controlled trial of nearly 3,000 adults that began in the 1990s and showed lasting results among participants who trained for cognitive speed using video games. They were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the next two decades, according to results published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

“Any kind of activity that requires you to very rapidly respond to the environment … that requires you to process information quickly, will help you maintain processing speed,” Wood said.

Learning a new language or instrument, as well as sports, especially team activities, can have the same effect. “You’re having to strategize, interact with other people, and respond to the ball coming at you,” he said, noting that pickleball is a great example. Another one is dancing, which he said affects mood and cognitive function—involving complex motor skills, social skills, and the senses, which can all stimulate the brain.

The benefits are available to everyone, regardless of history. Wood pointed to research showing that those who benefit most from cognitively stimulating activities later in life are often those who had the least cognitive stimulation earlier on.
You always have the ability to improve or at least maintain brain function, even if you didn’t prioritize brain function in your youth, Wood added.

Aging Brain: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

The most detrimental thing an aging person can do is to believe there’s nothing that can be done about brain health, according to Myra Oney, interim administrator and coach with Sharp Again.

“The medical community has, until recently, denied that there was any relationship between lifestyle and memory problems, and that is what so many people heard from their doctors and believed,” she told The Epoch Times in an email. “Many people think that if there isn’t a pill to fix it, it can’t be fixed, or they aren’t interested.”

Aging folks tend to believe both cognitive and physical function unavoidably decline and then behave in a way that makes it so, Wood said.

Offloading challenging tasks to other people or technology feels like relief, but it quietly accelerates the very decline they fear. Engaging in difficult activities—and trying new things—keeps the brain active and strong, Wood added.

‘Nothing Superhuman Required’

Observational studies of people who maintain cognitive function from their 50s into their 80s consistently show the same profile: they are physically active, maintain social relationships, engage in mentally stimulating activities or hobbies, and are free of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, Wood said.

“We think it’s so unusual that we call them super-agers … and across those areas, there’s nothing superhuman required, yet we see a significant extension of cognitive abilities,” he said.

Studies have linked diet, multiple forms of exercise, hobbies, and cognitive activities to improved brain function—even among people who begin making changes in their 60s and 70s. The window does not close.

A Dose of Desperation Helps

What motivates most people to make the changes, Oney said, is seeing the positive results of one small change or the transformation of a friend—or, more likely, a frightening personal experience, as was the case with Marilyn.

“Changing habits and mindsets that have been built over decades is hard, and most people are unwilling to do it. This is particularly the case with older people,” she added, noting that most people are addicted to quick fixes and instant results.

Marilyn said that transformation wasn’t easy. She had two hip replacements and admitted that she doesn’t really like to exercise, but she’s stuck with it. She also had to cut out sugar and lower her carbohydrates.

“You have to want it desperately, almost a matter of life and death,” Marilyn said. “My grandkids are my incentive. They keep me on track.”

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