Pull out the paintbrushes, the crayons and the hot glue gun. It might help your memory decades from now.

A recently published article in the journal Neurology studied a group of 256 people ages 85 years and older who were free of thinking and memory problems at the beginning of the study. The researchers asked them about their activities in middle age. Specifically, the researchers wanted to know about their involvement in arts, crafts, social activities and computer activities.

The researchers then followed up every 15 months. During the course of four years, nearly half of the octogenarians developed mild cognitive impairment, or memory problems. When the scientists looked at the subjects’ reports of middle-age activity, they found that people who participated in the arts in middle and old age were 73 percent less likely to develop these memory problems than people who did not. People who crafted, socialized and used computers in middle and old age were about half as likely as people who did not to develop memory problems at this late stage.

It doesn’t mean you have to be Pablo Picasso to reap these healthful benefits, either. Drawing, sculpting and painting were all listed as art activities. This could mean that your spare-time doodles might actually be helping you.

Certain health conditions may increase your risk for mild cognitive impairment, such as high blood pressure, certain genes and depression. But unleashing your inner artist is one way to help combat these risks.

Not an artist? It’s not too late to find a hobby today. Check in your community to see about classes, catch a movie with a friend or simply search the web for a while. All of these things may help keep your mind fit well into your golden years.