Top 5 Benefits of Reading and Your Must-Have Senior Reading List

Other than walking, reading books might be one of the most effective activities for boosting health. Even though your brain isn’t a muscle, it still requires regular workouts to function at optimal levels. Reading engages your gray matter in complex ways, triggering neurons and creating new pathways in the brain.

And no – internet browsing, social media, and flicking through a magazine don’t offer the same benefits. The key is remaining focused on the written word for more extended periods. That’s when the neurological magic happens.

The many powerful benefits of reading just might nudge you toward the bookstore, whether down the street or to your favorite online bookseller.

So what can you gain from reading a book? Here are the top five benefits for seniors and a senior reading list to get you started.

1. Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Reducing the risk of degenerative brain disorders is one of the significant benefits of reading. Scientists haven’t proven beyond all doubt that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s. However, studies have shown that reading books and solving math problems each day improves cognitive function.

If that weren’t enough to motivate you then, consider that another study showed that people who engaged in mentally stimulating activities (like reading) throughout their lives tended to have brains with fewer plagues, lesions, and tau-protein tangles (all of which are associated with dementia).

2. Boost Memory

Improved memory is one of the vital benefits of reading for seniors. The best way to boost recollection power is to create new memories. Reading books generates memories of new experiences and characters, inciting your brain to form additional connections (synapses).

Additionally, you’re strengthening existing synaptic connections every time you pick up a book. To follow along with the story, you must recall names, characters, plots, relationships, vocab words, etc. This mental exercise sharpens your recall powers.

3. Reduce Stress

All of us can benefit from less stress and more relaxation during our downtime, which is one of the top benefits of reading. Getting lost in a good book slows your heart rate, eases muscular tension, and lowers stress hormones like cortisol.

When you engage in leisure reading, both external and internal pressures drift away almost entirely as your mind delves into the story. In as few as six minutes, your body responds to the reduced tensions.

4. Enhance Sleep

There’s a reason why so many people read before bed. A more restful night’s sleep is one of the many health benefits of reading.

Quality sleep often becomes scarcer with age due to both cognitive decline and chronic pain issues. But reading-induced relaxation can help you escape lingering mental and physical stressors, making a more restful night’s sleep possible.

It’s best to read from a physical book or on a screen that’s been sufficiently dimmed. Most e-readers and reading apps (like Kindle) let you turn on a “dark mode,” which virtually eliminates the blue light that strains your eyes and disrupts sleep.

5. Alleviate Depression Symptoms

Many seniors struggle with depression, at least intermittently. And there are a host of reasons for this, including physical challenges, pain, and loneliness.

One of the benefits of reading fiction is a temporary escape into another life or even another world. The story world distracts you from physical problems and allows you to engage with characters in ways “real life” doesn’t always allow.

So if you find your mood waning, consider cracking open a good book (may we suggest one from the list below?).

10 Books that Will Keep You Turning the Pages

Many of these novels showcase senior protagonists (but not all) and involve plots or themes to interest a more mature audience. We’ve included a bit of everything in this list, including romance, murder mystery, a thriller, historical fiction, drama, and some comedy.

1. This Tender Land – William Kent Krueger
2. Invisible – Lorena McCourtney
3. The Thursday Murder Club– Richard Osman
4. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand– Helen Simonson
5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd– Agatha Christie
6. The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah
7. Call It a Gift – Valerie Hobbs
8. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk – Kathleen Rooney
9. A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
10. Eight Perfect Murders – Peter Swanson

How Reading Can Reduce Urine Leaks and Frequency

Reduced urine leaks and frequency can be additional benefits of reading, especially for seniors. Stress has a profound impact on the urinary and GI (gastrointestinal) tracts. This means that any activities that relieve stress and anxiety – i.e., reading books – can reduce bladder symptoms like urine leakage and an overactive bladder (OAB).

Try reading for 10 or 15 minutes several times a day and before bed. This can help ease chronic tension and might also ease bladder symptoms.

For lighter leaks, try our Ultra-Thin Pads. For a higher level of protection, try our Protective Underwear.