If you’re a bibliophile, retirement to an Independent Living community might be a chance to finally get through that pile of books you’ve been meaning to read. Other seniors may find they stop reading as they get older due to fading eyesight and poor memory. But you should make time for reading as you age. Reading is exercise for the brain, and book clubs can multiply the benefits.
Brain Benefits of Reading
Just as physical exercise keeps your body healthy, brain exercise keeps your mind strong and running smoothly. Reading is a great activity for the brain as it stimulates areas of the brain that control concentration, planning and decision-making. It also improves physical health by reducing stress, increasing longevity and bringing better sleep.
If you’re worried about cognitive decline, try cracking open a book. Studies have found that keeping your brain active helps protect you from Alzheimer’s disease and similar types of dementia. It’s believed that reading maintains and builds connections between brain cells that compensate for damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. This helps to preserve your memory.
Added Advantages of Book Clubs
It’s clear to see that reading offers many benefits, but you might think joining a book club is unnecessary. However, a book club is a great way to enhance your reading, and it also brings different benefits to your life.
Expand Your Social Circle
Social isolation and loneliness can contribute to anxiety and depression as well as physical issues, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. You may feel like reading won’t help as it’s a solitary activity, but booklovers love talking about their latest reads. It’s true that you’ll encounter fellow readers in Montereau’s library, but a book club often expands your circle of bibliophiles. Whether you join a Montereau book club or one of the many offered by Tulsa Library, you’ll meet like-minded people and always have something to discuss.
Broaden Your Horizons
All reading offers opportunities to broaden your horizons. Whether you’re reading about a man hitchhiking across the universe or a retiree solving crimes, books let you walk in someone else’s shoes for a while. This increases empathy and exposes you to different thoughts, cultures and emotions.
Discussing the book multiplies this effect. Your book club is sure to be full of people who have had different experiences, and this impacts what they take away from their reading. That means you’re exposed to a wide range of opinions that can offer you new insight into life. This helps stimulate your creativity, improves problem-solving skills and keeps your brain young.
Improve Communications
Communication skills can decline as you age, partly due to impaired hearing and speech. But continuing to communicate ensures the skills aren’t lost. Book clubs let you practice communicating regularly with other readers. Plus, you’ll widen your vocabulary, learn about new topics for starting conversations and stimulate your thinking process.
Explore New Books
It can be easy to get stuck in a reading rut. People tend to drift toward books they think they’ll enjoy, whether that’s Westerns, fantasy novels or celebrity memoirs. A book club pushes you out of your comfort zone as you read the group’s choice before each meeting. You can discover titles you wouldn’t have read on your own and may find they become favorites. Even if you end up hating some of the selections, you’ll have plenty to talk about at the meetings!
Whether you want to spend your free time reading, exercising or exploring Tulsa, Montereau has plenty of activities to enhance your retirement. Contact us through our website or at 918-495-1500 to arrange a tour so that you can see how Independent Living in Montereau can improve your life.