Sometimes, the best workout is done with a pen and paper.
Doctors are coming around to the notion that classrooms can be more beneficial than a protein shake could ever be.
According to a recent study, mentally active seniors are able to prevent the onset of dementia-like diseases for quite a length of time. The study, published in Neurology, suggested a 32 percent reduction in rate of mental decline for seniors who engaged in high levels of mental activities. Conversely, seniors who did not partake at all in mental activity sped into dementia 48 percent more quickly than average.
In addition, according to the National Institutes of Health, mental activity has beneficial responses and sustains mental acuity for seniors partaking in perfunctory, daily tasks such as cooking.
So what benefits await those who go above and beyond by stepping back into the classroom themselves?
“There is a growing body of research that has studied the link between lifelong learning and wellness,” says Julie Maurer, coordinator of The Ohio State University’s Program 60.
“Mature learners also have greater resilience when faced with major challenges in life, whether mental or physical. Engaging in educational activities has been associated with reducing depression and improving the quality of life for older adults.”
Program 60 provides a means by which individuals ages 60 and up can take undergraduate classes – any undergraduate classes they want, so long as it has sufficient space to accommodate them – for free at OSU. And OSU is just one of a number of local colleges offering lifelong learning programs.
“Program 60 was seen as an opportunity for older persons to continue significant learning experiences for free in selected courses wherever space was available,” Maurer says.
New Albany resident David Allen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
