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Hobbies are fun ways to pass the time, but they can also have surprisingly powerful health benefits. While the physical perks of hobbies like exercise or gardening are widely known, the psychological benefits aren’t always as obvious.
Alongside improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety, many hobbies can boost brain health and keep the mind active. The importance of looking after our brains can’t be minimised – particularly as life expectancy increases.
So, if you’re looking for some enjoyable hobbies that can also give your brain a boost, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 hobbies to keep your mind active.
1. Knitting
Knitting has long been considered a calming, meditative activity. Studies show that the rhythmic and repetitive motion of knitting can reduce stress, boost mood, improve concentration, manage chronic pain, and even help treat addictions and eating disorders. Plus, it can boost brain health.
The fact that you need to alternate your knit and purl stitches helps stimulate brain function. And, when practised by older adults, this type of mental engagement has been shown to improve cognitive skills like memory and reasoning.
But knitting doesn’t just help to keep your mind active – it can also protect your brain as you age. A study of people aged 70 to 89 found that those who practised crafts, including knitting, had a reduced chance of developing cognitive impairment and memory loss.
Studies suggest that, because knitting keeps brain cells engaged, it can reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by 30% to 50%.
To find out more about knitting, you might like to read our guide: Learn how to knit.
2. Reading
Whether you enjoy curling up with a good novel, expanding your knowledge through non-fiction books, or leafing through a newspaper, there’s no doubt that reading is a great way to keep your brain active. But, it can also change your mind – quite literally.
MRI scans have shown that reading strengthens your brain. When you read, you’re using a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain, and the more you read, the more sophisticated these networks become.
One study showed that when participants read the novel Pompeii, more areas of their brains lit up as tension was built. Brain scans showed brain connectivity increased, particularly in the somatosensory cortex, the part that reacts to physical sensations.
But that’s not all. According to the National Institute on Ageing, reading can also ward off age-related cognitive decline. While we can’t conclusively say that reading prevents diseases like dementia, research shows that older adults who read daily don’t just maintain their cognitive function but improve it.
If you’d like to do more reading but need some inspiration, head to our books, literature, and writing section. You might also like to join the book or short story clubs over on Rest Less Events.
3. Puzzles and games
We shouldn’t just view the brain as our personal computer – we should also see it as a muscle. Like any other muscle, it needs exercise, and the more we use our brains, the stronger they become.
Puzzles and word games are excellent ways to boost brain plasticity, which relates to thinking and remembering.
While in recent years, Sudoku has been praised for keeping the mind sharp, word games are just as beneficial. Crossword puzzles, word searches, and even online word games have been shown to improve memory, focus, and cognition – and a 2019 study of adults over 50 found a strong correlation between word games and greater cognitive function.
While there are many types of word games you can try, studies suggest that the classic crossword boosts the brain the most. Though if you’re not a fan of crosswords, things like jigsaw puzzles, card games, riddles, and strategic games like chess also encourage our brains to make new connections.
For inspiration, check out our article: 11 free online puzzles and games to tease your brain.
4. Exercise
We all know how important exercise is – not only for physical health but for mental health, too.
For example, Exercise has been shown to reduce brain volume loss, which helps prevent reduced cognitive function and shrinkage in brain areas linked with memory. For example, one study found that exercising for six months increased brain volume in older adults.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory, and research suggests that regular exercise can ‘de-age’ it. In fact, one study of people aged 73 to 95 found that those who engaged in regular exercise had hippocampi comparable to those of brains aged 20 to 59.
But regular exercise doesn’t just improve memory – it can also help ward off age-related decline. Research shows that just half an hour of brisk walking three times a week can delay the onset of dementia, while two sessions of weight training per week can return significant benefits for brain plasticity.
What’s more, research suggests that exercise can improve convergent thinking (the ability to problem solve) and divergent thinking (the ability to generate creative ideas). Plus, multiple studies show that regular exercise can reduce ‘brain fog’ and improve focus and concentration.
To find out more about how exercise can keep your mind active, check out our article: How exercise can lead to better brain health. Or, to get started, why not join a virtual fitness class over on Rest Less Events? You’ll find everything from Pilates to Move for Life.
5. Bridge
If you’ve always enjoyed card games, why not consider trying bridge? All you need is a pack of cards, a table, and a few like-minded people. While many card games offer cognitive benefits, bridge is especially beneficial thanks to its unique blend of analytical reasoning and creative problem-solving.
Every hand presents a new puzzle: you have to evaluate your own cards, assess what opponents hold, and devise the best path forward. This constant strategic thinking improves memory, logic, and concentration; it’s no coincidence that many of the world’s top bridge players (most over 50 and many well into their 80s) credit the game with keeping their minds sharp. Some studies even suggest that the mental workout of bridge may help delay cognitive decline.
Bridge’s social aspect also plays a significant role in supporting brain health, as success depends on clear communication, awareness, and cooperation with your partner. Reading subtle cues, staying calm under pressure, and building trust and teamwork all contribute to meaningful social engagement – which, in turn, is excellent for mental wellbeing.
Perhaps more surprisingly, bridge may even benefit physical health. A 2000 study at the University of California, Berkeley, found that the brain area activated when playing bridge can stimulate the immune system, suggesting that keeping your mind active might have powerful benefits for your body as well.
6. Learn a language
Learning a language isn’t only a way to connect with people from other cultures and make travel more fulfilling; it’s also an excellent way to keep your mind active. Language stimulates the parts of the brain that are responsible for reasoning, planning, and memory, which is why bilingual people have more white matter in the brain’s frontal lobe.
People who can speak two languages have also been shown to be better at multitasking. It’s believed that being able to swap between languages can improve the ability to switch between everyday tasks, helping you do more.
However, you don’t need to be bilingual to improve brain function. Learning a language at any stage of life is beneficial. When you’re learning, you’ll need to recall new words and grammatical structures, which means your memory gets a good workout, too.
Plus, learning a new language is believed to slow brain ageing and reduce the risk of dementia.
To find out more about the benefits of learning a language, as well as how you can start learning, you might like to read our articles: The benefits of learning a new language and 6 languages that are easier for English speakers to learn.
7. Play an instrument
Music, just like language, exercises the parts of the brain responsible for memory, emotional reasoning, and planning – and learning how to play an instrument as an adult can boost your brain in several ways.
It’s long been thought that because learning to play an instrument strengthens connections between the brain’s two hemispheres, young people who practise music become better at maths and problem-solving. Now, studies find that learning a musical instrument as an adult can bring the same benefits.
It doesn’t matter what instrument you choose; learning to play any musical instrument can improve overall brain function by strengthening the corpus callosum (the band of nerves linking the two sides of the brain). This study found that the size of the corpus callosum in musicians was far bigger than in non-musicians.
Other research shows that learning a musical instrument can improve memory and cognitive function. And this five-year study of 469 adults over 75 found that playing musical instruments (alongside leisure activities like reading, playing board games, and dancing) was linked to a reduced risk of dementia.
To find out more about the many benefits of learning a musical instrument, as well as how to start, check out our articles: 12 benefits of introducing more music into your life and 7 of the easiest musical talents for adults to learn.
8. Gardening
Gardening can be a lovely way to spend your leisure time while getting fresh air and sunshine. And, because it exercises key functions like learning, problem-solving, strength, dexterity, and endurance, it can be a surprisingly rewarding activity for both the body and mind.
Not only can half an hour of gardening burn a similar number of calories to half an hour of badminton or Tai Chi, but it can also reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and boost self-esteem.
More good news is that gardening has big benefits for the brain. According to this study, older adults who regularly did just 20 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity gardening showed significantly increased brain nerve growth.
If you enjoy gardening, you’ll know it requires multitasking and planning, so it’s a great overall workout for the brain. And, research suggests that it may play a role in decreasing the chance of developing dementia. For example, this long-term study followed 2,805 adults over 60 for 16 years and found that daily gardening reduced the risk of dementia by 36%.
To get some ideas for things to do in the garden, check out our gardening section or the gardening talks over on Rest Less Events
9. Writing
Writing is another hobby that can do wonders for keeping your mind active. Writing is stimulating yet strenuous for the brain as it engages so many different areas. This means writing can return many benefits – from improving reasoning and problem-solving skills to growing vocabulary.
Plus, due to the brain’s plasticity, regular writing can also encourage your brain to grow. The more you write, the more neural connections form inside the brain.
But, while all forms of writing are beneficial, there’s good news for those who prefer putting pen to paper rather than tapping out their words on a screen. Studies show that writing by hand produces more brain activity than typing. The specific movements used to write by hand activate parts of the brain responsible for thinking, language, and memory – and can lead to improved memory and knowledge.
Other research has shown that handwriting helps with creativity. Writing by hand forces you to slow down and be present, which means it’s also a mindful activity.
For more on writing, whether you fancy creating short stories or journaling, head over to our books, literature, and writing section. Or why not join Creative Writing for Wellbeing on Rest Less Events?
We’re also proud to have a hugely talented community on Rest Less and, if you fancy submitting your creative writing pieces, we can publish them in our Writers Corner.
10. Meditation and yoga
Both meditation and yoga are known to be incredibly beneficial for improving mental health, particularly when it comes to reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Although the impact they can have on overall brain health and keeping the mind active is also astonishing.
Meditation allows you to have more control over your thinking – and this control can lead to improved focus and memory. But it can also change the physical structure of the brain.
This study found that after eight weeks of mindfulness meditation, the cortical thickness of participants’ hippocampus (responsible for learning and memory) had increased. They also found a decrease in cell volume in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear and stress.
Another study showed that just a couple of weeks of meditation improved people’s memory and focus. And this study showed that meditation can protect the ageing brain. Participants who’d been long-term meditators had significantly more grey matter throughout their brains.
It’s never too late to get into meditation or yoga. To learn more, you may like to read our introductions to yoga and mindfulness. Or, for something a little different, why not join a meditative art class over on Rest Less Events?
Final thoughts…
Time is precious, and most of us wish to spend it doing things that aren’t just enjoyable but are also meaningful. And if these activities also bring health benefits, then all the better!
From restful hobbies like knitting, reading, and writing, to more energetic activities like exercise, gardening, and yoga, there are many different ways you can give your brain a boost while having a good time.
While some of these hobbies, like learning a language or musical instrument, can involve commitment, others can be picked up and left off whenever you get a free 10 minutes. Just sitting down to a quick crossword, for example, is a great way to exercise your mind.
For more inspiration, check out our hobbies and activities section. Or, browse Rest Less Events, which has over 100 exciting online events each month.
Do you enjoy any of these hobbies? Or do you have any additional hobbies that can help keep your mind active? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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