That’s right: shrinking. It happens first to your body, then your brain. Fortunately, the BBC is reporting that when researchers at Edinburgh University conducted brain scans on 638 people past the age of retirement, they found that those who were most active had less brain shrinkage over a three-year period. The better news: even light exercise, such as walking several times a week, did the trick. The researchers found that people who were more physically active had less damage in the brain’s white matter – the wiring that transmits messages round the brain, and also had more gray matter, the parts of the brain where the messages originate. The bad news? The study found no benefit from mentally challenging activities, such as reading a book, or other pastimes such as socializing with friends and family. Read more from the BBC.