Science-Backed Reasons to Read a Real Old-Fashioned, Printed Book
Who’s your all-time favorite bookworm? Some might say Hermione Granger, Maya Angelou, or even Oprah. But why not you? That’s right. Why not you?
It’s no secret that spending time lost in a book does wonders for your noggin. Reading strengthens brain health and allows you to relax in a way nothing else does – all while taking you to places you’ve never been and diving deeper into worlds you thought you knew by heart.
Not only does regular reading help make you smarter, but it can actually increase your brain power. Just like going for a jog exercises your cardiovascular system, reading regularly improves memory function by giving your brain a good work out. With age comes a decline in memory and brain function, but regular reading may help slow the process, keeping minds sharper longer, according to research published in Neurology. Frequent brain exercise was able to lower mental decline by 32 percent, reports The Huffington Post.
In today’s day and age when screen time dominates, we challenge you to set aside 15 minutes for reading each day for the next 10 days. Start with a newspaper or reread your favorite book – the only catch is that you’ll want to avoid reading on a screen.
Reading puts your brain to work, and that’s a very good thing. Those who who engage their brains through activities such as reading, chess, or puzzles could be 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spend their down time on less stimulating activities. The paper suggests that exercising the brain may help because inactivity increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, inactivity is actually an early indicator of the disease, or a little of each.
Check out the New York Times Book Review for suggestions to fill your reading list!
Here’s to a new chapter in brain health!
