Almost everybody loves curling up and spending the day reading a good book. It’s one of life’s simplest pleasures. In retirement, this pleasure can also be beneficial to your health and cognitive function. Habits such as a daily walk, drinking water, and eating healthy are primarily at the forefront of discussion about health. However, exercising your brain is just as important. There are many differently ways that reading can positively benefit your health, here are a handful of our favourites.

A different kind of workout

When thinking about working out during our golden years, our mind often goes to walking and light exercise in the comfort of our home. Adding the mental workout of reading in retirement into your routine will ensure that you are working out more than just your physical body. Reading strengthens your neural networks as you comprehend the twists and turns of a story. This happens the same way that muscles in your body strengthen when put under pressure of a workout. Overtime, your brain will strengthen much like your body does.

Alzheimer’s and dementia

While there are no conclusive studies that prove that reading in retirement, or in general, directly prevents dementia or Alzheimer’s, the National Institute of Ageing does suggest including it in your repertoire of mentally stimulating activities. Some recent observational studies have suggested that reading does lower risks of cognitive impairment which does go hand in hand with diseases such as Alzheimer’s. These studies suggest that reading empowers the brain with the ability to compensate for age-related mental changes and conditions that affect the brains’ function.

Focus

Stimulating brainwave activity through an engaging story is a fantastic way to boost focus. A compelling story requires us to focus, remember, and recall information. Practicing this can improve your memory and strengthen your capability to focus for longer periods of time. Every new memory creates new brain pathways and strengthens existing ones. That means the more books you read, the more information you remember, and the more you boost your mental performance!

Stress reduction

If you have ever sat down and read a good book, chances are you got lost in it and forget about whatever was happening around you. Reading can be a fantastic way to stay busy but also relax simultaneously. Finding a book that you love can transport you to another time, location, or even another world. This can be a wonderful way to reduce stress and even lower blood pressure and heart rate. A study in 2009 found that just 30 minutes of reading has a positive effect on heart rate and blood pressure, which is a great added bonus!

Improved sleep

Struggling to fall asleep is very common. Most people are told to avoid electronics within an hour of bedtime to remedy this. The blue light emitted by screens such as phones and televisions reduces your body’s natural production of melatonin in preparation for sleep. Sleep only becomes more difficult as we age, making reading in retirement very beneficial. Not only does the mental focus of reading tire you out, but the stress reduction of reading and lack of blue light also means you are more likely to have a restful night’s sleep. In order to reap the benefits of bedtime reading it is recommended that you stick to reading a printed book rather than reading on a screen.

It’s never too late to start thinking about looking after your mental health and cognitive function. Including even just 30 minutes of reading into your daily routine can reap so many benefits for your health and daily life. Try finding a style of book that you know you love or joining a book club if you need recommendations of what to read. Happy reading!