Just like Your Body, Your Mind Needs a Daily Workout

Photo by Cindy Fazzi

You just got home and your Fitbit band shows you’ve hit 10,000 steps for the day, thanks to your twice-a-day walks. Great! Now it’s time to work out your mind, too. The good news—exercising your brain is as easy as picking up a book or turning on your e-reader.

Reading Rocks

The “Improvement Pill” video below clarifies some misconceptions about reading and why it’s the most important habit you can make.

#1 Studying and reading are not the same. Many people think reading is only for retaining information, including memorizing facts. That’s studying. You should also read for pleasure.

#2 Work out your body and mind. Many people are obsessed about physical fitness, but neglect to read. There is such a thing as working out your mind. “When you read, you are rewiring the neurons, the fibers of your brain, into a stronger version of itself,” according to the video.

#3 Make reading a regular habit. It’s not enough to read once in a while. In fact, it’s important to make reading a regular habit—daily if possible. Just like exercising, you won’t see results unless you read on a regular basis. A good reading habit can open your mind to ideas and help you develop mental fortitude, according to the video.

What are you waiting for? Be sure to read a book today!

Read another story about the benefits of reading:

Study: Books Empower Readers to Do Positive Things

Note: I’ve updated this article, first published on my blog on Sept. 14, 2016.