read your way to a younger you

Reading rewires parts of your brain. Maryanne Wolf explains in her book,Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain:

Human beings invented reading only a few thousand years ago. And with this invention, we rearranged the very organization of our brain, which in turn expanded the ways we were able to think, which altered the intellectual evolution of our species. . . . Our ancestors’ invention could come about only because of the human brain’s extraordinary ability to make new connections among its existing structures, a process made possible by the brain’s ability to be reshaped by experience.

The benefits of reading really go beyond just changing how the brain functions. Regularly picking up a book and reading helps you to actually exercise your brain, as your imagination sends out pulses while you create the stories within your own mind. A fit mind helps you to maintain your memories for much longer, especially as we age. In fact the older you get, the more it is recommended that you read in order to keep your mind "in shape".

Reading also allows you to unwind and de-stress. It helps you to take your mind away from anything that may be troubling you, allowing you to release your worries. This process alone can have a calming effect on your entire body. Being in a constantly stressed state can cause your body to be more tired, sickly, and age faster, but by taking time out to read your are breaking this cycle, which in the long run can have a positive impact on your overall health, the running of your body, and even having a more youthful appearance.

It can also improve your finances. Most of the worlds richest and most successful people will tell you that they read on average for half an hour to 45 minutes per day, on a wide variety of subjects from fiction to non fiction. It is also a relatively affordable and easy way to learn new skills, or to read biographies on how the rich achieved their success. Regularly reading business books and self help books will most definitely help you to live a richer more fulfilling life. Want to learn a new skill? There's probably a book (or ten) on just that subject - so invest in yourself today and start reading!