<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>INTRODUCTION</jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to evaluate whether mid-life and late life participation in leisure activities is linked to measures of brain structure, functional connectivity and cognition in early old age.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>METHODS</jats:title><jats:p>We examined data collected from 7,152 participants of the UK Biobank study. Weekly participation in six leisure activities was assessed twice. A cognitive battery and 3T MRI brain scan were administered at the second visit.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>RESULTS</jats:title><jats:p>Weekly computer use at mid-life associated with larger volumes of the left putamen and higher scores for fluid intelligence, alphanumeric and numeric trail making tasks and prospective memory. Frequent attendance at a sports club or gym at mid-life was associated with stronger connectivity of the sensorimotor network with the lateral visual and cerebellar networks. No other associations were significant.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>DISCUSSION</jats:title><jats:p>This study demonstrates that not all leisure activities contribute to cognitive health equally, nor is there one unifying neural signature across leisure activities.</jats:p></jats:sec>