"Getting older often involves a series of challenges, such as cognitive decline, social isolation, and late-life depression. Memory decline, especially decline in episodic memory and working memory, is a significant characteristic of normal aging and can be an early sign of pathological aging. Various forms of exercise and activities that flex the brain are believed to help maintain memory function in older age."
"One important type of cognitively stimulating activity is learning music (Xueyan, 2025). Music is a promising tool for improving cognition and promoting well-being. It's never too late to start playing an instrument, and starting in old age may have major benefits. Here are some general rules you can follow as you master a new skill, such as music (Ericsson and Pool, 2016)."
"Practice for new skills should be thoughtful, slow, and deliberate rather than rushed. When you work slowly, things become simpler. You don't perform better when you speed through a course. Thoughtful practice is purposeful, and it knows where it is going and how to get there. Having a clear and meaningful goal is important for individual progress and motivation. Well-defined and achievable goals fuel motivation."
Learning new skills can keep the aging brain in shape and help counter cognitive decline, social isolation, and late-life depression. Memory decline, particularly in episodic and working memory, often accompanies normal aging and can signal pathological change. Cognitively stimulating activities and various forms of exercise can help maintain memory function. Learning music is a promising tool for improving cognition and promoting well‑being, and beginning an instrument in older age can yield major benefits. Effective skill mastery relies on deliberate, purposeful practice with clear goals, slow incremental progress, and building accurate mental representations.
Read at Psychology Today
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