Learning Japanese for fun. Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle for the first time in your life. Taking a ceramics class . Joining a book club . Mastering a whole new makeup trick . What do these activities have in common? They challenge you in new ways, potentially adding years to your brain health.

According to neuroscientists, challenging your brain in novel ways helps with the formation of new neurons. In the book The Atomic Brain , author and researcher Beatriz Larrea explains that challenging the brain favors neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons. In fact, studies have found that the more cognitive stimulation you experience over the years, either via education or work, the lower the risk of developing dementia.

Learning and neuroplasticity

“Neuroplasticity is

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