Reading helps with enlightening and increasing knowledge. It keeps the brain active, reduces stress and it slows the degeneration of brain cells. Not only is it important for the elderly, but also for the young. Everybody should read.
Here is why people of all ages should read.
1. Improves knowledge
Whether you are a kid, youngster or elderly, reading will help you to increase knowledge. You can learn more about a particular topic by reading books. Besides, the more you know, the better you are equipped to handle challenges.
Reading can help to improve the vocabulary as you are introduced and learn more words. This is essential for kids since they are at a stage when they are improving their language by learning new words and grammar. It helps them to improve their comprehension and fluency.
However, all people of all ages can benefit from learning new vocabulary.
2. Stimulates the brain
Just the way exercise keeps the body fit, reading keeps the brain fit. It enhances connectivity in the brain, a function that helps to slow the process of brain degeneration in the elderly since it keeps the brain active. An active brain in the elderly slows the progress of illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s that are associated with memory loss.
Everybody needs to keep their brain fit by keeping it active through reading.
3. Improves memory
Reading is also associated with improving memory since each time you read, you are required to remember facts of a particular topic in the case of non-fiction. If you are reading fiction, you need to remember the story, characters, story setting and more.
New memories help to create new brain pathways while strengthening the existing ones, a process that helps to improve memory for everyone.
4. It improves writing skills
While reading, you have to comprehend written material, which in turn improves your writing skills. Everyone can benefit from better writing by learning from the works of other writers. You can learn about sentence structures and grammar from other writers, which enhances your communication skills.
5. Helps in critical thinking
Critical thinking is essential at any age. Reading helps to articulate your thoughts and to think critically. As you read, you could critique the writing. Is the piece well written? How are the characters and the storyline?
6. Improved concentration and focus
Reading demands more from your brain than speaking or processing images. It is a sort of a neurological workout that improves concentration and keeps the brain sharp. When you read, you are training your brain to concentrate and avoid distractions, a skill that can also be useful in other areas of life.
By reading, you concentrate on one task and so it helps with your ability to focus.
You can use the skill to concentrate and focus and apply it to other areas of your life.
7. Helps in relaxing
By reading, you can distance yourself from the worries of the world as you get lost in the story. This can be a good way to help you relax and reduce stress since as you concentrate on reading, you are taken to a different literary world, which distracts the mind and helps to ease tension.
Studies conducted showed that subjects who read for a few minutes recorded reduced stress levels.