There’s an adage that you’re never too old to learn something new and it’s so very true. When you learn something new, you change the neural circuits and eventually create new neural pathways in your brain. Most of all, you renew your appreciation for life and enjoy new vitality. It’s the same whether you’re learning something mental or physical—or a combination of the two. When you take up a new sport, you’ll have to learn the rules, but you’ll also have to learn how to move your body for the different physical demands of the sport.
Change your workout and get more from it.
Learning something new to add to your program of fitness does more than just build new brain pathways, it helps you lose weight, too. When you do the same routine consistently, your body becomes efficient at it. That means it burns fewer calories. You have to continually ramp up the routine to get the same results. Changing your workout not only helps prevent boredom, it helps burn more calories and shed pounds faster.
Find out the latest on nutrition.
You’ll be amazed a how many ideas of healthy eating are no longer valid. At one time, fat was the criminal that robbed people of a longer life. Now it’s known that you need fat in your diet to be healthy. Of course, that doesn’t mean trans fats that cause damage. Sugar often got off easy. Today we know that it’s not only sugar, but even some sugar substitutes that can wreck the body. In fact, that diet cola that was touted as the low cal alternative is shown to add inches to the waist. Learning new recipes that use whole food is a challenge, but one you’re sure to benefit from both mentally and physically.
Find a passion.
Learning something new is a way to find new things you enjoy and look forward to doing. You may never be a fan of golf, but find that rock climbing is a true rush. However, you won’t find that out unless you try both. Even activities that might not seem active, like gardening and treasure hunting with a metal detector, can get you up and moving when you otherwise might be glued to the TV. Having enjoyable activities in your life gives you a reason to get up in the morning….even on your day off of work.
- Never lose your curiosity. You may have seen and done a lot of things in life, but walked through the activities blindly. Start watching the world around you closely and ask “why” a lot. You’ll be amazed at how much there is to learn.
- Renew old interests. When you were a child, was there something you loved to do or investigate that was lost as you aged. Revive your old interest and start with a fresh eye. You may find it’s even more satisfying than you thought.
- Learn how to calm your mind. We always think of learning new active things that stimulate the mind, but in today’s society, learning to think of nothing and calming the mind is a more difficult task. It might be the new experience you need.
- Make new friends. Do something out of the ordinary that will have you mixing with others. Take a friend and experience it together. Journeys to new information are always more fun when shared with another.