A large survey reveals that your choice of leisure activity has an effect on cognitive ability in middle life.

The Whitehall II study is a long running study of the health and lifestyle of a large group of British civil servants. The latest report from this study, presented by researchers at University College, London, reveals an intriguing link between leisure activities and mental powers.

The participants, aged between 35 and 55, gave details of the activities they liked to pursue in their spare time. The researchers classified these low cognitive effort - DIY, gardening, going to the pub - or high cognitive effort, such as cultural visits, reading and going to evening classes. They also asked the participants whether their pursuits were solitary or involved socializing.

They found that people who followed pursuits involving cognitive effort and social interaction tended to have overall better cognitive functioning compared to those following solitary or low cognitive effort activities. This suggests that maybe the brain responds to efforts to stimulate it by expanding its cognitive ability. So if you want to stay intellectually sharp as you age, try to challenge yourself a bit in your spare time activities.

Source

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health November 2003 Volume 57 pages 907-913