Hobbies are fun ways to pass the time, but they can also have surprisingly powerful benefits. While the physical perks of hobbies like exercise or gardening are widely known, the psychological benefits aren’t always as obvious.
As well as improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety, many hobbies can improve brain health and help keep the mind active.
The importance of looking after our brains can’t be minimised – particularly as life expectancy increases. In fact, those aged 65 and above are a rapidly growing demographic, with this age group expected to increase by 10% over the next five years in the UK.
So, if you’re looking for some enjoyable hobbies that can give your brain a boost too, we’ve got you covered.
Here are nine hobbies to keep your mind active…
1. Knitting
Knitting has long been viewed as 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 addiction and eating disorders. And, it can also positively impact brain health.
While it might seem like knitting is a repetitive activity, the fact that you need to alternate your knit and purl stitches helps stimulate brain function.
When practised by older adults, this type of mental engagement has been shown to have a positive effect on cognitive skills like memory and reasoning.
But knitting doesn’t just help to keep your mind active – it can also help protect your brain as you age. A study of people aged between 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 even reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia by 30% to 50%.
To find out more about knitting, you might want 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 actually 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 and more areas of their brains lit up as tension was built. Brain scans showed that brain connectivity increased, particularly in the somatosensory cortex, which is the part of the brain 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 every day don’t just maintain their cognitive function, they improve it too.
If you’d like to do more reading but need some inspiration, head over to the Books, literature and writing section of our website. You might also want 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 own personal computer – we should also see it as a muscle. Like any other muscle, it needs to be exercised, and the more we exercise 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 helping keep 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 playing word games and improved cognitive function.
While there are many types of word games you can try, studies suggest that it’s the classic crossword that gives brains the biggest boost.
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 psychological too.
Because exercise lowers levels of stress hormones, it can have a profound effect on our mood and mental health – but it also has many powerful benefits for the brain.
Exercise has been shown to reduce loss of brain volume, which helps prevent reduced cognitive function, and shrinkage in the parts of the brain associated with memory.
One study found that exercising for six months can increase brain volume in older adults.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory, and according to science, regular exercise can actually ‘de-age’ the hippocampus by up to 75 years. In fact, one study of people aged 73 to 95 found that those who engaged in regular exercise had hippocampi comparable to brains aged 20 to 59.
But regular exercise doesn’t just improve memory – it can also help to 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 just two sessions of weight training per week can return big benefits for brain plasticity too.
If this wasn’t enough reason to get more active, research suggests that exercise can also boost creativity and 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 the ways exercise can keep your mind active, you might want to read our article; How exercise can lead to better brain health. Or, to get started, why not join a fitness class over on Rest Less Events? You’ll find everything from Pilates to Afrofusion dance fitness classes.
5. Learn a language
Learning a new 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 brains that are responsible for reasoning, planning, and memory – which is why bilingual people have more white matter in the frontal lobe of the brain.
People who can speak two languages have also been shown to be better at multitasking. It’s believed that being able to switch between languages can improve the ability to switch between everyday tasks, helping you get more done.
But, you don’t need to be bilingual to improve your brain function. Learning a language at any stage in your life is beneficial as it can help you develop new parts of the brain and improve your ability to focus. When you’re learning, you need to recall new words and grammatical structures, which means your memory also gets a good workout.
Plus, learning a new language is believed to slow brain ageing and reduce the chances of dementia, or its onset. According to some researchers, learning a new language can even increase the size of your brain!
To find out more about the benefits of learning a language, as well as how you can start learning, you might want to check out our article, The benefits of learning a new language, or our introduction to British sign language.
If you’re interested in learning a language, why not browse courses on the learning section of our website, or join an event over on Rest Less Events?
6. Play an instrument
Music, just like language, exercises the parts of the brain responsible for memory, reasoning, and planning — and learning how to play an instrument as an adult can boost your brain in several powerful 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 linear maths (such as algorithms and equation solving) and problem-solving. Now, studies find that learning a musical instrument as an adult can return 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, which is the band of nerves that link 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 how to play a musical instrument can improve memory and increase 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 you can start, you may want to read our articles; 12 benefits of introducing more music into your life and 7 of the easiest musical talents for adults to learn.
7. Gardening
Gardening is a lovely way to spend your leisure time while getting some fresh air and sunshine. And, because gardening 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 amount of calories as 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 too. According to a recent study, older adults who regularly did just 20 minutes of low to moderate-intensity gardening showed significantly increased levels of brain nerve growth.
If you already enjoy gardening, you’ll know that it requires a good amount of multitasking, from maintaining healthy growth cycles for each plant to planning ahead and mapping out your garden — so it’s a great overall workout for the brain. And, research suggests that it may play a role in decreasing the chances 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, you might want to check out the gardening section of our website.
8. Writing
Writing is another hobby that can do wonders when it comes to keeping your mind active. Writing is stimulating yet strenuous for the brain as it engages so many different brain areas. This means writing can return many benefits – from improving your reasoning and problem-solving skills to growing your 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 your 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 creates more brain activity than typing. The specific sequential movements that are used when writing by hand activate parts of the brain responsible for thinking, language, and memory – and can therefore lead to improved memory and knowledge.
Other research has shown that the act of handwriting helps with creativity. Writing by hand forces you to slow down and be present, which means that it’s also a mindful activity.
For more on writing, whether you fancy creating short stories, journaling, or taking a course, head over to the books, literature and writing section of our website.
We’re also proud to have a hugely talented community on Rest Less and, if you’d like, you can also submit your creative writing pieces to us and we’ll publish them in the Writer’s Corner section of our website.
9. 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 depression. Though, the impact they can have on overall brain health, and keeping the mind active, are 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 actually change the physical structure of the brain.
This study found that after eight weeks of mindfulness meditation, participants showed an increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory. They also showed 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. Plus, while older adults who meditated still showed some volume loss when compared to younger meditators, it wasn’t as pronounced as people who didn’t meditate at all.
It’s never too late to get into meditation or yoga. To find out more, you may want to read our introductions to yoga and mindfulness.
Final thoughts…
Time is precious, and most of us want to spend our leisure time doing things that aren’t just enjoyable, but 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 new language or musical instrument, can involve a level of 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, you might like to check out the hobbies and activities section of our site. 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.