Do you need another reason to thoroughly clean the house, or tackle chores you’ve been putting off? It could boost your brain health! That’s according to Dr. Noah Koblinsky from the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto.

He and his team studied mentally healthy senior citizens. Each participant was given a cognitive test and a health evaluation. They were also asked to track their exercise, and list the chores they did each day, including cleaning, cooking, and gardening.

The result: No matter how much or how little a person exercised – like walking, running or cycling – those who spent more time doing chores had greater brain volume, which is a key measure of good cognitive health.

Dr. Koblinsky believes chores are so beneficial to the brain because they get people up and moving. Doing chores also requires planning and organization, which helps promote the formation of new neural connections. And that one-two combo helps boost blood flow to the brain, and slows cognitive decline. Meaning, tackling your to-do list could significantly boost your brainpower.