If the idea of struggling to remember basic things, such as your loved ones’ names or whether or not you took your medication, keeps you up at night, you’re not alone. Nearly 80 percent of people have concerns about experiencing dementia, according to the World Alzheimer Report 2019. Now for some good news: New research on how to prevent Alzheimer’s has shown that a few simple lifestyle habits can make a big difference in protecting your memory as you age.

How to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease

While it’s not possible to completely prevent Alzheimer’s, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of memory troubles. And it may be easier than you think. According to NBC News, researchers shared two studies at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference yesterday that highlight key lifestyle changes that may help prevent or slow the development of Alzheimer’s.

What do you do to help protect your memory?

In one study presented at the conference, more than 2,000 participants were tested for genes that increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. One gene that stood out was the APOE4 gene, per NBC News.

“The APOE4 gene variant is a well-established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” explains David Perlmutter, MD, Board-certified Neurologist and number one New York Times bestselling author. “Carriers of one or two copies of this allele have a higher likelihood of developing the condition due, primarily, to its role in increasing brain inflammation, a central mechanism in Alzheimer’s.”

Here are the simple habits that help protect your brain, even if you’re a carrier of the APOE4 gene.

Go for a walk

While walking seemed to benefit all study participants when it came to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, it had the biggest “protective effect” on those with the APOE4 gene, NBC News reported.

The researchers found that those who reportedly walked 10 percent more than their peers had a 4.7 percent increase in complex thinking for women and a 2.6 percent increase for men. For those carrying the APOE4 gene, women who walked more experienced an 8.5 percent increase in cognitive performance over time and men a 12 percent increase.

The difference between women’s and men’s results connects to a brain protein called BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which study researchers told NBC News increases with walking.

“Generally, men have more muscle mass in comparison to women,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “Muscles are an important source for BDNF, a chemical that actually allows the brain to repopulate itself with new neurons. This explains why men, even those with the APOE4 allele, derive more benefit from exercise compared to women. It also supports the recommendation that women should add strength training to their exercise programs.”

Aging Is Dementia Hereditary? It Can Be—Here’s How to Reduce Your Risk We know that lifestyle plays a key role in our health, but the influence of our genetics shouldn’t be dismissed. That’s why it’s so important to understand your family’s health history and whether you may be predisposed to certain conditions. If a parent or grandparent has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease, for example, you […]

Make time for regular physical activity

Although the study did not track participants’ walking speed or how often they walked, the brain-protective benefits of walking—and physical activity in general—are clear. If you want to get more steps in, Ryan Sultan, MD, a double board-certified psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia, offers the following tips:

Phone a friend. “Walking is not only exercise, but an opportunity to call a friend, collect your thoughts or catch up on new music or a book,” Dr. Sultan

Take 10 minutes to move. “Walking is a way to break up the work day and refresh to allow for more productive work later on,” he says.

Park further away. “It’s helpful to integrate walking into everyday life,” Dr. Sultan says. “It also helps when you have a destination to walk to, like a shopping center or grocery store.”

Start small. “You don’t have to walk excessive distances when starting out,” he assures. “The habit of walking is the most important early on, not necessarily the distance or length of walk.”

Keep sneakers in your car. “Make walking convenient by throwing your sneakers in your bag or car” so you’re always ready to squeeze in a little more movement, says Dr. Sultan.

Challenge your brain

Another study revealed at the conference and led by researchers in Finland, per NBC News, found that “cognitive training,” moving more and eating healthy helped to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease, especially in those with the APOE4 gene. Cognitive training can be anything from playing computer-based brain games or using a paper and pencil to challenge your mind. And physical activity included group-based exercise sessions that lasted 90 minutes (pickleball, anyone?), according to NBC News. Dr. Perlmutter explains why these results were seen after participants changed their habits.

“Western medicine tends to focus on monotherapy, meaning single approaches to medical problems,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “Multiple factors conspire to threaten the brain in Alzheimer’s disease, so a multifaceted approach would be expected to bring better benefit. Exercise, because it enhances BDNF, sets the stage for the brain to gain function and this creates an environment in which cognitive training will be more efficacious.”

Initial findings from the study showed that people with the APOE4 gene experienced stronger health benefits after adopting these lifestyle changes.

Aging 6 Easy Habits That May Help Prevent Dementia, Says an Alzheimer’s Expert It’s true that many of the illnesses related to aging have components over which we have no control. But doctors and researchers are increasingly realizing that we may have more power than we thought when it comes to how to prevent conditions like dementia. Here are six dementia prevention strategies that you can incorporate into […]

Try the MIND diet

Beyond Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows that dietary changes may help prevent or delay other forms of dementia as well.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults ages 60 to 79 who followed a structured lifestyle program, which included regular exercise, brain games, social engagement, health monitoring and a diet plan known as the MIND diet, saw significantly greater improvements in thinking and memory over two years compared to those who made changes on their own.

The MIND diet is a combination of two study-backed healthy eating plans: the Mediterranean diet and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet. It encourages people to eat foods like vegetables, berries, whole grains, nuts and fish. (Discover more foods that help prevent dementia here.)

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.