Several studies have shown that learning new skills as a senior positively affects cognitive, motor, and social skills. For example, Psychological Science found that seniors who spent 15 hours per week for three months learning a complex new skill, such as quilting, showed the greatest improvements in memory retention. Control groups that participated in less intense tasks, such as doing word puzzles, showed little to no improvement.
Although many experts believe the best time to learn new skills is in early childhood, there are six reasons to learn new skills as a senior.
1. Slow cognitive decline
Studies have found that learning new skills can improve memory function, which can prevent or delay dementia. This is because the task provides mental stimulation, stress management, and social engagement – just a few of the elements that Michael Patterson and Roger Anunsen, co-founders of MINDRAMP, like to call “cogwheels.” Cogwheels are factors that can decrease seniors’ risk of cognitive decline.
2. Maintain physical abilities
Specific skills can maintain and even improve physical abilities. For example, if a senior takes up yoga or karate, they are less likely to fall due to loss of balance, more likely to have a healthier heart, and may even prevent arthritis and other physical impairments. Also, “physical exercise and movement” is another one of Patterson’s and Anunsen’s cogwheels that, if activated, can fight off dementia.
3. Make new friends
Learning new skills can sometimes involve taking classes with a group of people. A group setting is a great way to make new friends. And again, social engagement is one of those crucial elements that can prevent dementia. Social engagement can be a crucial tool in preventing dementia and depression, two conditions that often affect seniors.
Another positive? Making new friends can be downright fun. Take a cooking class, try your hand at Zumba, or work on your yoga skills at the Y. These are all great ways to make new friends and learn something new.
4. Fill the spare time with a new hobby
After a few weeks of retirement, the novelty can wear off and seniors often feel bored and restless with so much time on their hands. Learning a new skill or hobby is an excellent way to fill this spare time. An excellent way to fill this spare time is to learn a new skill and make a hobby out of it. Photography, painting, gardening, scrapbooking, wood-working, and dancing are all great examples of hobbies to try in retirement.
5. Earn extra cash
Learning a new skill can lead to starting a side hustle in retirement—and ide hustles are a great way to earn extra cash. Many hobbies can become lucrative businesses. Woodworking and photography are just two common examples of hobbies that can earn you extra cash, but the possibilities are endless.
6. Mark off something on a bucket list
Most people have a bucket list of things they want to do and see in retirement; learning a specific new skill may be at the top of the list. Learning that skill and marking it off of the list can be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.
The saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” may be true for four-legged animals, but it certainly isn’t true for humans. There is never an age in which people can or should stop learning new skills. Retirement is the perfect time to pursue new passions.
Danielle Roberts is a Medicare expert and the co-founder of Boomer Benefits, a licensed insurance agency that helps baby boomers navigate their entry into Medicare in 48 states. She is the author of the best-selling book 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make, which helps beneficiaries avoid critical but all too common Medicare pitfalls.
