If you’re still looking for a New Years resolution that will pay off big time, how about becoming a “Superager”?
So what’s a Superager? It’s someone of an advanced age who’s still got a mind like a person many decades younger. And though that’s a worthy goal regardless of marital status, Divorced Over 50’s have even more motivation, as we’ve got that brighter future coming, and want to fully enjoy it (Right?).
There’s a catch, though: It takes hard work, and you’ve got to push yourself through some pain.
This article from the New York Times explains it for us laymen, and offers links to medical journal articles for those more scientifically inclined. But here are the basics:
Researchers have established that the critical memory and attention areas of your brain increase in activity, which helps keep them thick and healthy, when you engage in difficult physical or mental tasks. But we’re not talking a light jog or doing Sudoku. It really is a “no pain, no gain” proposition. Exercise needs to be vigorous, and the mental activity intense. You need to expend enough effort to actually feel tired, stymied, or frustrated — you know, in medical parlance, “yucky.” Some suggestions from the article include taking an online course, mastering a foreign language, or learning to play a musical instrument.
But doesn’t the idea of maintaining a sharp mind deep into old age sound like… wait, what were we talking about…?
