Anti-Aging Hobbies

It really isn’t all that amazing, but people who DO things are happier than people who DON’T do things. It is so easy when we become senior citizens to just sit down, stop participating in life and stop enjoying things that we’ve always enjoyed. It might be easier to stop, but it isn’t smarter to stop.

Scientists used to think that the brain aged and declined just like the rest of the human body, but new studies show that that isn’t at all true. New studies show that if we keep our brains active, as old neurons die they are replaced with new ones. The brain is dynamic, and if we keep it busy and active, it just gets better and better all of our lives.

Hobbies that bring a smile to your face and put joy in your heart can also keep your brain young and vital. Watching television is good. I like some television, but watching television is not a hobby. Watching television simply provides a diversion; it doesn’t make you think.

There are many hobbies that older people can enjoy. There are hobbies that don’t require physical dexterity or ability. I would never suggest that a senior citizen take up basketball or any other physical sport, but I might suggest that they take up virtual basketball, virtual football, tennis, or even golf. There are games all over the Internet that require using the brain to win.

Simply attempting to work the crossword puzzle in the daily newspaper can be a brain-challenging hobby, and there are millions of crossword puzzle books and online crossword puzzles.

So watch a little TV if you want to, but then turn it off and read a book or work a crossword or word-search puzzle. Or put a jigsaw puzzle together, or learn to knit or crochet. Take up a hobby and participate!

See you next time,

Your Life After 40

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