This artsy hobby might help keep your brain young as you age
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Aging is one of life’s few guarantees, yet certain individuals appear to maintain sharper cognitive abilities despite the passing years.
Although regular movement and meaningful social interactions are often part of the conversation, scientists have recently turned their attention toward a particular creative habit that seems to offer surprising neurological advantages.
According to a new study, this long-practiced activity may significantly support the brain’s ability to interpret sound and speech, even as the body grows older.
The impact was so noticeably pronounced that researchers now believe this pursuit could help the brain operate as if it were years—if not decades—younger.
The study, published in PLOS Biology, looked at three groups of adults with different backgrounds in music.
The first group included older adults who had played a musical instrument for most of their lives. The second was a similar group of older adults who had never played music at all. The third group was composed of younger adults with no musical experience.
When tested on hearing speech in noisy environments—a common issue with aging—the older non-musicians struggled as expected.
The younger adults did significantly better, which aligned with what scientists already know about age-related hearing decline.
But what surprised researchers was how well the older musicians performed. Their results closely matched the younger non-musicians, suggesting a strong protective effect from lifelong music practice.
“Deterioration of the brain is a major cause of many kinds of age-related cognitive decline,” said Dr. Lei Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow at Baycrest Hospital’s Rotman Research Institute.
His team believes that certain lifestyle choices, like musical training, may help accumulate “neural resources” that shield the brain over time.
In other words, the more you’ve worked those pathways, the better equipped your brain is to handle aging. Playing music, he added, engages several parts of the brain at once—motor skills, memory, emotion, and sensory input.
Past research has already linked musical training to improved memory and attention in older adults. This new data helps explain how and why those benefits might occur.
Playing music is being described by scientists as a full-brain workout, tapping into regions many other hobbies simply don't reach. It’s not just entertainment—it may be literal mental preservation.
The research didn’t focus on specific instruments, and Zhang noted that his prior work showed little difference between musical types.
Whether it’s a guitar, violin, or saxophone, the brain boost appears to be roughly the same. The key factor was long-term engagement and practice. This suggests that consistency, not complexity, is what really counts.
Still, experts say you don’t need to become a lifelong virtuoso to benefit from mentally stimulating hobbies.
“We encourage older adults to play an instrument, learn a new language, exercise regularly or pursue other enriching hobbies that can build cognitive reserve and slow age-related decline,” Zhang told StudyFinds.
Anything that stretches your brain in new ways can have similar effects. But if music’s always been on your bucket list, now may be the time to start.
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Have you noticed any mental clarity or focus that others your age seem to struggle with? Would you consider picking up a musical hobby if it meant slowing brain aging? Share your experience in the comments—we’d love to hear what’s worked for you.
Although regular movement and meaningful social interactions are often part of the conversation, scientists have recently turned their attention toward a particular creative habit that seems to offer surprising neurological advantages.
According to a new study, this long-practiced activity may significantly support the brain’s ability to interpret sound and speech, even as the body grows older.
The impact was so noticeably pronounced that researchers now believe this pursuit could help the brain operate as if it were years—if not decades—younger.
The study, published in PLOS Biology, looked at three groups of adults with different backgrounds in music.
The first group included older adults who had played a musical instrument for most of their lives. The second was a similar group of older adults who had never played music at all. The third group was composed of younger adults with no musical experience.
When tested on hearing speech in noisy environments—a common issue with aging—the older non-musicians struggled as expected.
The younger adults did significantly better, which aligned with what scientists already know about age-related hearing decline.
This artsy hobby might help keep your brain young as you age. Image source: Олександр Білоцерківець / Unsplash
But what surprised researchers was how well the older musicians performed. Their results closely matched the younger non-musicians, suggesting a strong protective effect from lifelong music practice.
“Deterioration of the brain is a major cause of many kinds of age-related cognitive decline,” said Dr. Lei Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow at Baycrest Hospital’s Rotman Research Institute.
His team believes that certain lifestyle choices, like musical training, may help accumulate “neural resources” that shield the brain over time.
In other words, the more you’ve worked those pathways, the better equipped your brain is to handle aging. Playing music, he added, engages several parts of the brain at once—motor skills, memory, emotion, and sensory input.
Past research has already linked musical training to improved memory and attention in older adults. This new data helps explain how and why those benefits might occur.
Playing music is being described by scientists as a full-brain workout, tapping into regions many other hobbies simply don't reach. It’s not just entertainment—it may be literal mental preservation.
The research didn’t focus on specific instruments, and Zhang noted that his prior work showed little difference between musical types.
Whether it’s a guitar, violin, or saxophone, the brain boost appears to be roughly the same. The key factor was long-term engagement and practice. This suggests that consistency, not complexity, is what really counts.
Still, experts say you don’t need to become a lifelong virtuoso to benefit from mentally stimulating hobbies.
“We encourage older adults to play an instrument, learn a new language, exercise regularly or pursue other enriching hobbies that can build cognitive reserve and slow age-related decline,” Zhang told StudyFinds.
Anything that stretches your brain in new ways can have similar effects. But if music’s always been on your bucket list, now may be the time to start.
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