Not too long ago, a study was conducted with a group of people who were asked to read 30 pages of a book before bed. The next morning, the participants had an MRI of their brains.
The results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, which is the area of the brain associated with language and intelligence.
The participants’ brains were still heightened from their books the night before — at the same level.
So, this means that the brain is like a muscle and by exercising the muscle (by reading, learning, etc.), you can strengthen it.
Pretty cool, right?
Absolutely an interesting study, but there are also plenty of ways that reading improves your mind and your body.
Strengthens The Brain
When you’re reading a book, you have to remember a lot of things.
The plot, the characters, the settings, the unfolding of events and each character’s desires.
By exercising your brain to remember these details, a new synapse is being created and existing ones are being strengthened.
In Layman’s terms, please? It means that your brain is literally improving its short-term memory.
Improves Your Health
Researchers have found that reading can reduce stress by 68 percent.
It makes sense: those who create a ritual to read a few pages before bed often sleep better. This is because their mind is exercising and they’re not focused on screens like phones or televisions.
(You guessed it: that only works with real books, not e-readers!)
Children’s Brains
You know how they say children’s brains are like sponges? It’s true!
Children who are exposed to reading before preschool are proven to improve in all facets of formal education.
They are also able to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment more than those who are not exposed to reading.
Ready for a cool fact? Reading a book exposes your child to 50 percent more words than a television show would.
Helps In Real Life
Here’s the kicker: those who read books about a character doing a significant action were more likely to perform those actions in real life, too.
For example, if a character in your book asked his boss for a raise, you might be more likely to ask for the same.
Or perhaps your character went mountain climbing. Maybe it’s time you buy new hiking boots?
Reading is also emotionally beneficial since we get to look into these people’s minds for a few hundred pages. You might be better at sympathizing with an anxious person in real life if you’ve just read a book with an anxious character.
Visit Your Local Library Today
It’s time to exercise that brain of yours so visit your local library today and check out some of the newest bestsellers.
Besides, it’s National Library Week so there’s no better time to show your appreciation for your library than this week.
You could also check out a list of services they offer that you might not have known about.
Don’t have a library card yet? No worries — check out the closest library to you here.