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If you’re looking for a way to keep your brain in peak working condition, it may be time to revive an old hobby or try something new. “Engaging in hobbies is one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy,” says Vonetta Dotson, PhD, chief of neuropsychology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, author of and founder and CEO of CerebroFit Integrated Brain Health. “Many hobbies, such as making art or playing music, challenge your mind, which strengthens the brain’s ability to adapt and build new connections.”

Hobbies that involve movement, such as pickleball, gardening, or hiking, support the growth of healthy brain cells and improve connections between brain cells. Social interaction helps, too. “When hobbies involve connecting with other people, they can benefit brain health by fostering connection and purpose, which are linked to better cognitive health as we age,” says Dotson.

Hobbies also help us feel happier and reduce stress, which protects memory and cognition. Relaxing hobbies, such as knitting or listening to music, which lower stress levels or involve mindfulness, also reduce stress hormones such as cortisol, which can contribute to anxiety and cognitive decline. They increase release of brain chemicals, too, such as dopamine and serotonin that are linked to feelings of happiness and wellbeing, says Dotson.

Adopting new hobbies benefits us as well. “Learning something new is stimulating and rewarding. Many studies have shown that novel, positive experiences promote the release of dopamine, which reinforces the actions involved in the positive experience,” says Margaret Rice, PhD, professor in the departments of neurosurgery and neuroscience at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “But any activity that stimulates a given brain circuit strengthens that circuit, with repetitive actions leading to stronger synaptic connections in pathways underlying the behavior involved — even shuffling cards at the bridge table.” Strengthening synaptic connections is a key component underlying learning and memory.

Research has found that hobbies can help us feel better mentally and physically over time. In fact, a surveyed over 93,000 older adults and found that those who had hobbies reported better health, more happiness, fewer symptoms of depression and higher life satisfaction — which are all linked to better brain health, says Dotson.

Fortunately, the benefits of hobbies occur no matter what your age. “Learning may take a little more time than when we were younger, but the brain can still learn and adapt,” says Dotson. “The brain maintains neuroplasticity, or its ability to reorganize and form new neural pathways in response to experience, throughout the lifespan.”

In fact, studies have found that healthy older adults who start a new hobby show positive changes in their brain, such as increases in the size of different brain regions and more efficient cognitive processing. But research shows that even people with cognitive impairment or dementia can benefit cognitively and emotionally from engaging in hobbies, says Dotson.

While it’s important to understand that having hobbies won’t prevent you from getting conditions such as Alzheimer’s, they can help you stay engaged and reinforce flexible thinking, says Dotson. Here are 10 research-backed hobbies you can try to support better brain health: