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As you start the new year (and recover from holiday celebrations), it's smart to tai one on. By doing tai chi, that is. If you're still mentally sharp, tai chi can improve your ability to multitask, manage your time, and make decisions. And if you have mild cognitive impairment, tai chi can slow your cognitive decline more than other types of exercise.

In one study, researchers had folks with some cognitive impairment do tai chi or a stretching and toning program three times a week. After a year, only 2% of the tai chi group progressed to dementia; 11% of the other group did. And in an enhanced tai chi experiment, folks ages 65 and older with mild cognition problems either did stretching, traditional tai chi, or enhanced tai chi, in which instructors had them conduct tasks such as spelling words forward and backward while doing the form. The enhanced tai chi group doubled the improvement in their cognitive test scores compared to the regular tai chi group (which did better than the stretching-only group).

How does tai chi (even if not enhanced) do this? By improving blood flow and helping the brain find alternate routes for shuttling info around. It also helps you build a posse, which enhances cognition. For more info, check out the Tai Chi Foundation (taichifoundation.org). And for tips on brain health, learn 40 ways to enhance your brain in Dr. Mike's "The Great Age Reboot."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.