Older people who are in good physical shape may find they also have better spatial memory than their non-active counterparts, new research suggests.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that controls memory formation, as well as playing a key role in spatial navigation.

Previous studies found the hippocampus tends to shrink with age, which may lead to some degree of cognitive decline.

Now, a study published in the journal Hippocampus reveals that physical fit older adults usually have larger hippocampi, which accounts for approximately 40 percent of their advantage in spatial memory.

As part of the research, they measured the physical fitness, hippocampus volume and spatial memory of 165 adults. Fitness was strongly correlated with hippocampus size, while hippocampus size was linked with better spatial memory.

“This is really a clinically significant finding because it supports the notion that your lifestyle choices and behaviors may influence brain shrinkage in old age,” explained co-author Kirk Erickson of the University of Pittsburgh.

Some older people also turn to nutritional supplements containing folic acid or omega-3 fish oil in order to maintain healthy cognitive function.