A new study shows that ingesting too much salt and having low amounts of physical activity is not only bad for the heart, it is also bad for the brain.

Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto conducted a study on the salt intake and physical activity levels of 1,262 healthy men and women over the course of three years, USA Today reported. The participants were 67 to 84 years of age.

The study found that participants with the highest levels of sodium and lowest levels of exercise had a tendency to worse cognitive performance than those who were more active and ingested less salt.

The study was published in the journal Neurology of Aging.

These findings are important because they help people know they can be proactive in retaining healthy brains as they age, Carol Greenwood, a lead researcher of the study, said, USA Today reported. Baby Boomers especially need to know that sitting on the couch watching television for long periods of time and eating salty snacks is not good for them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that limiting salt or sodium intake can lower blood pressure.

Aging Aging