Everyone knows the benefits of physical activity. In order to grow bigger, faster, stronger muscles you need to stretch them, pushing them further and harder than usual. It’s the stretching, the tearing of the muscle fabric, that causes the increase and improvement of muscle. Muscles that aren’t exercised atrophy. The cells degenerate, they lose the ability to perform. A reasonable amount of physical activity or exercise will aid in keeping your body healthy.

There is another muscle in the body. It is your brain. It too needs daily exercise. Underuse has long-term negative repercussions.

Stretching your physical muscles may bring to mind the body-builder. There are other ways. Training for a marathon later in life stretches your muscles. Swimming laps, gradually increasing the quantity increases muscle strength. The primary ingredient is the stretch, continuing to move beyond prior limits.

The brain benefits similarly. Learning is stretching. There is no reason to stop learning when schooling ends. There is every reason to continue. Anything that pushes you to think, to struggle with new concepts and information, to increase mental skills, will stretch your mind.

Reinforcing the same thoughts you’ve always thought may keep your brain active, just like walking around the block every night, but the stretch is missing. Challenge yourself to go further. Taking risks, facing failure, learning something impossible for the old you, these tasks grow your brain.