16-Jun-2011

Play It Up

Recapture Your Youth

Remember your favorite childhood games? Tag. Red Rover. Hide and Seek. Unless you have young children, you probably left these activities behind when you hit your teen years. Play is an essential part of growing up, of learning to interact with your peers and burning off energy. But can play be beneficial for adults? As it turns out, play is even more important as we grow older and can help you stay young.

A healthy, childlike curiosity about life keeps you young. Doing crossword puzzles or playing cards or board games helps to maintain your mental focus and can ward off depression. Imaginative play takes you out of your worries and presents unusual challenges for the brain. You can simply play for the joy of being you, like a child blowing bubbles or reading a favorite book. Go to a local museum, invite your friends to go bowling or buy yourself a hula hoop! You may find yourself feeling like a kid again.

Recommended: Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown