After a long day at work, many of us unwind with a Netflix marathon or by playing a computer game. But scientists are now saying that these everyday habits could have a more significant impact on our brain health than we might think.

A recent study conducted by the University of South Australia tracked the activities of 397 adults aged 60 and above over a typical 24-hour period. The goal was to investigate how various everyday activities might contribute to dementia risk factors and cognitive decline.

The findings brought good news for book lovers and social enthusiasts, as activities like reading, crafting, chatting, listening to music, and even prayer were found to be beneficial for brain health. In contrast, experts warned that watching TV and playing video games could have negative effects.

Dr Maddison Mellow, who worked on the project, explained: “We found that sedentary behaviours which promote mental stimulation or social engagement – such as reading or talking with friends – are beneficial for cognitive function, whereas others like watching TV or gaming have a negative effect. So, the type of activity is important.

Dementia, as defined by the NHS, is a collection of symptoms linked to an ongoing decline in brain function. It’s estimated that over 944,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, including one in every 11 individuals aged over 65.

As we approach the festive season, you might have a long list of Christmas films and TV shows you’re eager to watch with loved ones. While Dr Mellow assures that this is perfectly fine, he suggests making minor adjustments if you’re interested in enhancing your long-term brain health.

She continued: “To achieve the best brain health and physical health benefits, you should prioritise movement that’s enjoyable and gets the heart rate up, as this has benefits for all aspects of health. But even small five-minute time swaps can have benefits.

“So, if you’re dead set on having a Christmas movie marathon, try to break up that time with some physical activity or a more cognitively engaged seated activity, like reading, at some point. That way you can slowly build up healthier habits.”

The study comes as a reported 45% of dementia cases could be prevented by modifying lifestyle factors. The University of Oxford previously outlined that tiredness, alcohol and even pollution can play a part in this too, after analysing 40,000 brain scans.

Following the research, they said: “We know that a constellation of brain regions degenerates earlier in aging, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution − increasingly a major player in dementia − and alcohol, of all the common risk factors for dementia.

“We have found that several variations in the genome influence this brain network, and they are implicated in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as with the two antigens of a little-known blood group, the elusive XG antigen system, which was an entirely new and unexpected finding.”