Keep Your Aging Brain Healthy With Music
By Paul Rothbart
Aging is not easy. Just like any other finely tuned machine, the human body declines in performance once it reaches middle age. As senior citizenship approaches, the brain can also begin to perform at less than optimal levels. The mind must be exercised just like the body. There are numerous ways to do this. One of the most effective (and fun) is by singing or playing a musical instrument.
Music Counters Hearing Loss
A common problem for older adults is reduced hearing ability. Ironically, this is often exacerbated by listening to excessively loud music as a youth, but by playing music, hearing receives a significant boost. Learning to play and practicing puts focus on listening to oneself critically. The auditory system improves as a result of this workout. Studies have shown that older musicians hear better when in a loud environment than their non musical counterparts. The ability to discern pitch and pick out a specific note in a chord is another benefit that is a boon to hearing in general.
Music Has an Impact On Memory and Cognitive Skills
MRI scans have shown that musicians, both professional and amateur, have "younger looking brains" than those who don't play. BrainAGE (Brain Age Gap Estimation) is a comparison of the chronological age of a brain and its estimated age. In other words, a measure of whether it has slowed down or sped up. The higher the score, the greater the degree of degradation. According to Christian Gaser, one of the authors of a study conducted at Jena University Hospital, musicians consistently showed lower scores, with amateurs scoring the lowest. This is due to the lack of stress in having to earn a living and the activity just being pure fun.
Playing music is a workout for the entire brain. It improves memory, comprehension, verbal and cognitive skills. A researcher at the Rotman Research Institute, Claude Alain concluded after a 2019 study that "Short-term visual arts and music training can boost the brain health of older adults,"
Socializing
Another beneficial aspect of playing music is that you can do it with others. Find friends or co-workers who play and get together for a jam session. Many places have community bands that accept amateurs of all levels. Coordinating with other musicians will work the brain and contribute to its health as will being with other people who have a common goal. And it's just fun. I can personally attest to this as I play in the saxophone section of a local college band. Those kids help keep me young at heart. And mind.
Memory loss, hearing loss and the decline of mental prowess are things that threaten aging adults But we don't have to give into them. Pick up an instrument, take a few lessons. It will benefit you tremendously, even if you're not Paul McCartney or John Lennon. Perhaps I'm dating myself with that reference but we are talking about the older crowd.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sandy Springs, Ga.