A Healthy Habit to Keep Your Brain Young
Every Tuesday, Jean Klein sits down to play piano for a hushed audience...
But she isn't in a packed concert hall. Instead, she visits a memory-care assisted-living center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Many of the residents have Alzheimer's or dementia. And some of them barely communicate at all.
But then Klein starts playing...
Soon enough, feet begin tapping and heads start moving. And sometimes, some of those nonverbal residents begin singing along.
Klein has seen this happen over and over again during her two half-hour sets on Tuesdays. Many residents call it the highlight of their week. One resident has even said the music makes her "feel whole again."
Music's ability to stir up old memories isn't new. But more research is suggesting that music might do more than just remind us of the past.
It could help keep our brains healthier as we age.
Listening to or playing music enhances the function of more than 10 different regions of the brain, including the...
- Hippocampus, which is the main area of our brains responsible for making new memories and remembering things
- Hypothalamus, which controls important bodily processes like releasing chemicals involved in sleep, appetite, metabolism, and more
- Frontal lobe, which helps us make decisions and plan ahead
- Temporal lobe, which interprets the sounds we hear
- Broca's area, which enables us to speak
- Occipital lobe, which interprets sights
- Cerebellum, which stores muscle memories and helps us move
- Amygdala, which processes emotions
A study published last year looked at how listening to music impacts brain function. Researchers followed 10,893 Australians aged 70 and older, none of whom had dementia at the start of the study.
Participants who said they always listened to music boasted a 39% lower risk of developing dementia, compared with folks who never, rarely, or only sometimes listened to music. They also had a 17% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment without dementia. In addition, regular music listeners performed better over time on tests of memory and overall cognition.
(Listening to music is just one of the many strategies I cover in my brand-new book, Power Up Your Brain! – which you can check out here. In it, I cover simple, research-based ways to take better care of your brain... starting today.)
And it's not just listening to music...
Making music has its rewards, too.
In that same study, people who often or always played an instrument had a 35% lower risk of developing dementia. And participants who both regularly listened to music and played an instrument had a 33% lower dementia risk and 22% lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Other recent research gives some insight into what music may do for your brain...
A 2024 Innovation in Aging study involved 153 healthy older adults aged 70 on average. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group learned to play the piano, while the other group practiced active listening (like focusing intently on the music instead of letting it just play in the background).
Both groups took one-hour classes every week for a full year and had homework to do between sessions.
Researchers in this study were interested in cognitive flexibility, which is your brain's ability to switch gears. This ability can decline with age. But at the end of this yearlong study, both the piano players and active listeners improved on several measures of cognitive flexibility.
Another 2024 study involved 95 healthy adults, who were split up into three age groups: young (between 20 and 39 years old), middle-aged (40 to 59), and older (60 and up).
Researchers took notes about each person's history of singing in a choir, like how long and how often they sang. The team found choir singing was significantly associated with connections in white matter – which is critical for communication between brain regions. What's more, older adults saw the greatest improvements in white-matter connectivity.
White matter contains nerve fibers that help different areas of the brain communicate with one another. It's important for the normal functioning of memory, as well as balance and coordination.
How to Listen for a Healthier Brain
I love listening to all kinds of music... Jazz is a favorite to listen to while I'm writing. Fast-paced hip-hop or rock injects extra energy and motivation into my workouts. And pop music uplifts my mood when I'm stressed.
Every so often, I'll practice a bit of active listening myself... like picking out the bass line, following the drums, noticing when a new instrument enters, and trying to anticipate the direction of the melody.
I also love singing along when I'm driving or showering. It instantly cheers me up – because singing releases endorphins and oxytocin in your brain, another "feel good" hormone. I will refrain, though, from full-on belting out the words when I'm in the office, so I don't distract my colleagues and employees. But you might sometimes catch me humming along...
Studies have shown that humming releases extra nitric oxide from your sinuses. This molecule dilates your blood vessels and airways, which helps circulate oxygen-rich blood to your organs. So even if you're on the shy side and prefer to quietly hum, you can still harness the wonderful health perks of making music.
Making music part of your life is just one of many simple habits that can keep your brain healthy as you age. Too many folks wait to start thinking about their brain health, but I urge you to start now. The best time to start healthy habits is today.
That's why I've harnessed my 30 years of medical experience and compiled my best tips in my brand-new book, Power Up Your Brain! – which you can access here. It includes my 23 research-backed habits for brain health. Some can prevent or even reverse cognitive decline – and they're easy to fit into your everyday routine.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Tyrannosaurus rex was almost as warm-blooded as a human.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
September 22, 2026