Use it or Lose it

Common wisdom is that muscle tissue changes with use. People who have been on forced bed rest for several weeks are often amazed at how much muscle strength and tone has been lost and how much needs to be rebuilt. THis gave rise to the saying: use it or lose it. Turns out that although the brain is not muscle tissue, per se, it operates on a similar principle: use it or lose it. Use it in ways that studies have shown to be challenging and stimulating to the brain, and this brain activity will lead to various parts of the brain growing larger and stronger. In other words, you can change your brain’s anatomy as well as some of its chemical and electrical patterns and activity. This is so powerful that 30 minutes of challenging brain stimulation every day, 10 minutes of reading aloud, and 12 minutes of meditation/prayer may even slow the onset of symptoms of aging. What are you waiting for? If your schedule doesn't include these three brain gifts, it’s a good time of the year to get started . . .