Opinion: Challenge yourself in the new year

Happy new year! I hope your holiday season was filled with fun and family. Now it’s time for a reality check.

This month I want to talk to those of us who are aging slowly but surely (myself included), with increasingly unreliable brains and joints. We just can’t do what we could when we were 25, right? My mantra has always been “use it or lose it!” I recommend this to all of you, and here’s why.

Recent studies of aging have proven the value of using your brain creatively in new ways as you get older. The 60- to 90-year-olds who participated in the study began new activities from painting to piano lessons. And they did much better over time on cognitive testing.

This proves that you are never too old to learn, and you should never stop learning.

I am a perfect example. I played the piano when I was kid, but gave it up when I was 12 years old. I started playing again at age 65, and have been taking lessons and playing every day since then.

What has this done for me? I am still aging, but have no memory issues—although I had begun to. And I feel mentally sharper than ever. It has been like learning a new language. It activated new areas in my brain.

And I am not the only one. There are many other equally successful seniors who can tell you the same thing. All the studies report the same results. So you have nothing to lose but your brain, right?

The same is true for your mobility. Walking is great exercise, and keeps your joints more flexible. You can even walk with small weights to swing. Yoga is a great way to maintain muscle tone, and helps prevent balance problems common with aging.

Aging is no fun, but you can stay functional if you work at it. Make a resolution to use your brain for a new creative activity outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself. And put your joints to work!