Learning a new sport in midlife is not only good for the body, but also the brain.

That’s the upshot of new research that shows learning to swim, play tennis, ride a bicycle, ski, or even snowboard can change and strengthen the brain in ways that practicing other familiar pursuits such as crossword puzzles or marathon training will not.

Past research has shown adding numbers, remembering names, writing poetry, and learning a new language can boost brain function. But the latest research shows learning a new physical activity can also improve brain power, The New York Times reports. 

Studies involving animals show that running and other types of physical activities increase the number of new brain cells created in parts of the brain linked to memory and thinking.

“We have a tendency to admire motor skills,” said Dr. John Krakauer, a professor of neurology and director of the Center for the Study of Motor Learning and Brain Repair at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

But most of us make little effort to hone our motor skills in adulthood, and very few of us try to expand them by learning a new sport. As a result, we could be short-changing our brains, researchers say.

For instance, a 2014 study with mice found that when the mice were introduced to a complicated type of running wheel, in which the rungs were irregularly spaced so that the animals had to learn a new, stutter-step type of running, their brains changed significantly — for the better.