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One thing the last year’s lockdowns have taught us is that it is never too late to pick up a new skill. From baking to learning a language, many of us have been using our time to try out something new – and it’s been time well spent! In his podcast, Just One Thing, Dr Michael Mosley investigates the growing research that shows the benefit learning new skills can have on our bodies and brains.

What are the benefits of trying something new?

With a busy life, finding time to learn a new skill may take some doing, but the evidence is clear that it has a wide range of benefits for your brain. Not only does it provide you with an opportunity to concentrate on the task at hand, root yourself in the moment and calm down that thinking brain – it also has the potential to subtly and very importantly reshape your brain and the way you think about yourself.

Learning a new skill will give your brain a workout in ways that are measurable. If you’re challenging your brain with something it has never done before – it can reduce stress, create new brain connections, get your body in a state of flow, release dopamine, make you happier, better at juggling tasks and potentially smarter, too!

Rewiring your brain and keeping it healthy

Not only does learning a new skill help your mental health, it can actually change the way your brain is wired – helping encourage the growth of new brain cells and new connections. We’re often under the impression that learning something new or picking up new hobbies, like learning to play the piano or juggling with words in French, is something we do as children when our brains can best adapt to new things. But new encouraging research is showing that our brain’s plasticity is retained well into old age – far later than once thought – and taking up the challenge of learning at any age brings a wealth of benefits.

What type of activity should you choose?

Prof. Alan Gow from Heriot-Watt University has been researching the impact of new activities on our brains. Specifically, whether taking up a new activity can help our thinking and memory skills as we grow older.

It is activities that involve a combination of physical, mental and social elements that seem to be particularly beneficial – and the key is finding one that is a good fit for you. “What might make a change in my thinking skills might not make a change in yours,” says Prof. Gow. If you’re more engaged in the task, it’s been shown that you get more cognitive benefits. So if you are trying something new, try incorporating elements that make it social, active and mentally challenging.

There are a wealth of benefits for trying out something new, even in old age – from improving executive functions, to improving the number of your brain cells, to more psychological benefits that have surprisingly wide reaching effects on how you see yourself and interact with others.