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Date added:July 27 2026
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Read time:4 min
There are habits that can help protect your memory, mood and thinking as you get older. In an episode from our healthy ageing podcast series, Dr Marita Long, specialist women’s health GP at the Jean Hailes Brain Care Clinic, shares how to keep your brain strong and active as you age.
Memory, cognition and ageing well with Dr Marita Long
Host: I’m joined today by Dr Marita Long, Honorary Medical Advisor for Dementia Australia, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne and a GP with a special interest in women’s brain health.
Host: Marita, that’s a long list of interests.
Dr Marita Long: It is. I suppose I’ve accumulated those interests over time. I started in general practice and spent many years caring for women, so it was a natural progression from women’s health into cognitive and brain health.
Host: You’re also a board member of the Australasian Menopause Society, so we’ve worked together in that space as well.
Dr Marita Long: That’s right.
What is cognition?
Host: Today we’re talking about memory and cognition. Most people understand what memory is, but how would you explain cognition in simple terms?
Dr Marita Long: Cognition is much broader than memory. It includes social cognition, which is our ability to connect and interact with others; attention, which helps us focus, multitask and follow conversations; and perception, which is how we interpret and make sense of information around us.
It also includes language, our ability to communicate and participate in conversations; learning, which allows us to take in new information; and executive function, which covers higher-level thinking skills such as planning, judgement and decision-making.
In simple terms, cognition is how your brain functions in everyday life.
Host: So when we talk about brain health, we’re really talking about maintaining all of those cognitive functions?
Dr Marita Long: Exactly. Good brain health means keeping your brain functioning well so you can continue participating fully in life. It’s important to remember that cognitive health is about much more than memory.
Someone’s memory may still be intact while other areas of cognition are declining, which is why we need to think about brain health more broadly.
Normal ageing and memory changes
Host: Many women notice changes such as forgetting a word occasionally or misplacing their keys, particularly during midlife and menopause. How do you know what’s normal ageing and what’s cause for concern?
Dr Marita Long: Normal cognitive ageing happens to everyone. In fact, some changes begin much earlier than most people realise. Memory can become a little less sharp, and processing speed may slow down, but our knowledge, skills and life experience help compensate for those changes.
From around age 50, people may notice more “tip of the tongue” moments, such as forgetting a name briefly or taking a little longer to complete familiar tasks. These changes are usually gradual and don’t interfere with work, relationships or daily activities.
If you’re still able to function well, stay socially connected and enjoy life, these changes are generally considered part of normal ageing.
Supporting brain healthDr Marita Long: The foundations of brain health are similar to the foundations of overall health:
- – Getting enough quality sleep
- – Being physically active
- – Eating a healthy diet
- – Maintaining social connections
- – Not smoking
- – Limiting alcohol intake
These factors not only support brain function today but may also help reduce dementia risk later in life.
As you get older, your brain changes. Brain cells may not work in the same way and blood flow to the brain can decrease slightly, which can make it take longer to process information or recall details.
Cognition refers to how we how we think, learn and understand things. Changes to cognition are a normal part of ageing and are not the same as developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
It’s good to know that many brain functions can remain strong as you age, especially with an active lifestyle, good sleep, social connection and regular physical activity. What’s more, looking after your brain supports overall healthy ageing.
Keeping the brain healthy
Across your life, the way you live, learn, eat, sleep and move helps protect your brain. Many activities that are good for your brain are important for heart health as well.
Maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise and limiting alcohol intake can reduce your risk of cognitive decline and other conditions. Social connection is another important part of brain health.
Eating a wide range of colourful fruits and vegetables also helps to support brain health by providing a mix of important nutrients that protect and nourish the brain.
Trying new activities, like exercising with friends, volunteering, doing challenging puzzles or learning new skills, helps keep the brain active.
It’s also important to get regular health checks. That’s because poor heart health, hearing loss and untreated vision loss increase the risk of developing dementia.
Everyday supports for memory and thinking
Perhaps when you were younger you could remember deadlines and social events easily. As you get older, it does get harder for most people.
Reducing stress is important for brain health, but this can feel difficult when we live busy, complex lives.
Using simple tools can help take pressure off the day-to-day. Using calendars, diaries, reminder apps, lists and medicine organisers can make daily tasks easier.
Some people like to leave important items (such as their phone, keys, wallet or glasses) in the same place in the house, so they are easy to find.
These helpful habits can also help us stay social, active and connected as we age. Isolation is one of the worst things for our brains, so it’s important to think about what might help us keep up a healthy social life.
Dementia is different to normal ageing
Normal ageing can make some memory tasks, like recalling details or concentrating, a little harder.
Up to 60% of women going through menopause report changes to their memory, or feelings of brain fog, but this doesn’t mean they have dementia.
It’s also important to know that dementia is not a part of normal ageing.
There are many types of dementia, which can affect memory, mood and thinking in everyday life. Different types of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. These conditions cause a significant change in a person’s usual ability to complete everyday tasks.
Keeping your brain healthy is one way to reduce your risk of developing dementia and slow down cognitive decline.
When to seek help
When it comes to dementia, here are my 3 key messages:
- Talking to your doctor about your brain health and understanding your overall risk for dementia at any age is important, but it’s particularly important in midlife. This is a key time when you can often modify your risk of going on to develop dementia.
- If you do notice any changes in your memory, thinking or learning, it is really important to discuss these with your doctor. There can be many reasons for these changes other than dementia, and the sooner you talk to your doctor, the better. Your doctor will help figure out what is going on and be able to put the right supports in place to help you.
- Remember to try to eat well, sleep well, limit alcohol, keep your mind and body active and stay socially connected.
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