Why is life long learning good for the brain?

Our brains have  the ability to learn and grow as we  age which is a process which is called “brain plasticity” but for it to do so, you have to train and challenge your brain on a regular basis.

Keeping your brain active through learning something challenging  continues to improve your brain’s speed and ability to process

Our brain are still able to grow and improve its neural functions in adulthood

The white matter in our brains which is called myelin, helps improve and maximise performance on a number of tasks. The more practice you put into learning something, the denser the  myelin becomes, in a process called myelination which  helps one  learn better and faster.Myelin acts as a coating to axons of brain cells and  so with more myelin, more neural pathways are formed.

This allows electrical impulses to travel faster as you process more information, which means you can process the information and upskill quicker. The more you learn, the more pathways are produced, and the quicker your brain responds.

Myelin naturally decreases with age, which explains why it is harder to take up challenging skills later on in life. As the brain is “plastic” and can continue to grow at any age, learning a new skill at an older age can allow it to regrow some myelin and improve your brain power.

So practicing a new and challenging activity is an excellent strategy for  improving and maintaining cognitive skills.

The above article was written by Dr Soumit Singhai (Dementia Specialist based at 25 Harley Street in London)