from Judith McDaniel
Why lifelong learning matters…if we didn’t know it before, the New York Times confirmed it this morning with report of a study on living past 90 without a trace of dementia. This is a goal I aspire to—living to whatever age I am given without losing my mental abilities. “Use it or lose it” is an adage we are all familiar with and it applies to our brains as well as our biceps. Doing mental gynastics is crucial to maintaining a full life as we age.
But don’t give up volunteering at the hospital in favor of playing crossword puzzles just yet. Dr. Claudia Kawas, a neurologist at the University of California, Irvine suggests that, while using your brain and keeping it nimble is important, still “all mental activities may not be equal. We’re seeing some evidence that a social component may be crucial.” Bridge, researchers suggest, involves memory and the social element.
Lucky for those of us who find bridge a waste of time that there are other options. Like teaching or taking classes. “There is quite a bit of evidence now suggesting that the more people you have contact with, in your own home or outside, the better you do” both mentally and physically, according to Dr. Kawas. “Interacting with people regularly, even strangers, uses easily as much brain power as doing puzzles, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is what it’s all about.”
So ramp it up, friends. Start one of those new intellectual challenges today—in the company of others. Online or face-to-face—both elements are present when we commit to lifelong learning.
Tags: dementia, lifelong learning, memory, mental ability
