For most adolescents, teenagers, and young adults, January marks the end of winter break and a return to school. But what about those of us who are far removed from formal educational experiences? Could our brains benefit from schooling? Recently there was an article in the New York Times entitled How to Train the Aging Brain by Barbara Strauch. In the article, Barbara asks whether the aging brain is, “…a brain that should be in school?” In other words, are there activities that we can participate in that will help us improve our brain function as we age?
The answer is yes of course, and the great news is there are a host of activities we can do as we mature to improve our brain health. One of these activities is learning something new. Educating our brains with new material is a great way to keep our brains sharp. Another option, especially beneficial for more mature brains, is to “relearn” something you already know. This can be as simple as forcing yourself to take a new route home from the office to more complex tasks, such as creating a “disorienting dilemma,” where we challenge our own way of thinking by critically reflecting on the assumptions we have built up over time.
Barbara notes that maturing brains can actually get better with practice, “The trick is finding ways to keep brain connections in good condition and to grow more of them.” More innovative and fun ways to “school” your brain and help ensure the benefit of keeping brain connections in good condition can be had by playing brain fitness exercises at HAPPYneuron. Studies have shown that participating in these activities can significantly improve speed of processing, memory, and provide a variety of cognitive benefits. The old adage is correct when it comes to your brain health: it is never too late to go back to school. And with brain fitness exercises at HAPPYneuron, learning something new has never been this fun!