Sitting down too much can make you stupid — new research says a sedentary lifestyle alters areas of the brain linked to memory

You watch what you eat and make sure you get a good night’s sleep. You regularly step outdoors to get your daily dose of natural vitamin D from the sun. But on weekdays, you work an eight-hour job that requires you to stay tied to your desk practically the whole time.

According to a new study, this unhealthy lifestyle could offset most everything you’ve done to stay healthy. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that sitting too long, like smoking, carries the same risks. These include heart disease, diabetes, and even premature death.

In their quest to see if a sedentary lifestyle affects brain health, researchers gathered 35 people aged between 45 to 75. The research team asked them about their physical activities and the usual number of hours they spent sitting during the previous week. Each of the participants underwent a high-resolution MRI scan, which gave a detailed view of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) a part of the brain responsible for creating new memories.