Dr Ronald Petersen has spent decades studying dementia, and at 80 he's still travelling to conferences and collecting lifetime achievement awards — the most recent from the National Academy of Neuropsychology in Chicago. So when he shares his own routine for staying sharp, it's worth listening to. His habits are simple, free or cheap, and easy to fold into any life, including a life spent on the road.
If forced to pick one thing, Petersen says, it's exercise. He works out three to four days a week — brisk walking, treadmill intervals, golf, resistance work and stretching — and recommends around 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week. The strength and flexibility work matters too, since balance problems and falls are, in his words, a real nuisance of ageing. Research backs him up: regular exercise can slow cognitive decline and lower Alzheimer's risk. And you don't need a perfect routine — doing more than you're doing now, even ten minutes of slow jogging, is the best single move.
Interestingly, he skips Sudoku and brain-training apps. His mental workout comes from work, reading (he prefers nonfiction — he's currently deep in a book about the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck) and following his grandchildren's sports teams in Minnesota. His advice: pick an intellectual activity you genuinely enjoy, whether that's lectures, newspapers or a good argument with friends, so you'll actually stick with it.
Diet-wise, he treats the brain as an extension of the heart. Mediterranean-style and MIND diets — vegetables, nuts, beans, fruit, seafood — are linked to lower dementia risk. Petersen eats granola, yoghurt and berries most mornings, keeps red meat to roughly once a fortnight, and prefers chicken and fish. He's not a zealot, though: there's junk food when travelling, and a beer (Leinenkugel's, if you're wondering) on Fridays and Saturdays. His take on alcohol is pragmatic — if you don't drink, don't start, but a daily glass of wine for someone who enjoys it is probably fine.
Sleep is the fourth pillar. Ageing tends to bring more time in bed but worse quality sleep, and chronic insomnia and sleepiness are tied to higher dementia risk. Petersen keeps a steady schedule — lights out around 10.30pm, up at 6.30am — skips evening caffeine and watches for sleep apnoea. Short naps of 10 to 15 minutes are fine; a two-hour afternoon crash is worth mentioning to a doctor.
Finally, he resists the pull of isolation. With two children and six grandchildren living nearby, he sees family weekly, and the evidence is clear: loneliness raises dementia risk, while strong social ties protect the brain. His warning — that it's easy to withdraw as you age — is worth heaving in mind at any age, especially for retirees whose social structure changes overnight.
Why should travellers care? Long trips and holidays routinely wreck sleep, exercise and eating habits. Petersen's example shows the opposite approach works: walk plenty, sleep on a schedule, eat sensibly with room for the occasional treat, and treat travel as a social and mental workout. His week after Chicago? San Diego, then Fort Lauderdale. Not bad for 80.
