10 Reasons You Should Learn an Instrument in Your Retirement

Playing an instrument has been found to improve memory, spatial reasoning, literacy, speed of processing, ability to plan, and other cognitive functions. However, despite these benefits, it is likely that learning an instrument does not appear at the top of retirees' bucket lists. And why not? Often, it is because of a lack of motivation to learn an instrument. Seniors and retirees often feel that they are too old for such a task. Of course, this is not true.

Many 55+ adults have proven that they can learn to play instruments (and achieve all kinds of other things) that have improved their health and well-being. So, we hope that you don't let these opportunities pass up and make them part of your retirement hobbies. If you do, you may experience these benefits:

Why You Should Learn a Musical Instrument in Retirement

1. Strengthen Memory Retention
   

   Learning to play any instrument provides a healthy and regular mental workout. It develops sharper memory and coordination. The goal here is not necessarily to become a professional musician. Instead, it is to improve your current mental state and continue learning and improving.

2. Develop Greater Concentration

   The capability to focus improves when you learn to play an instrument because the activity demands all parts of the brain to get involved. When you concentrate, you can accomplish tasks more efficiently. And these do not only apply to music. Once you get yourself to learn and practice to focus better, you can extend this to other tasks in our daily lives.

3. Bring a Sense of Accomplishment

   It applies to everybody. Accomplishing something brings a positive feeling, making you feel more confident and livelier. As mentioned, it is never too late to learn to play an instrument. In fact, it makes a great item to add to your retirement bucket list.

4. Exercise
   

   Playing an instrument, whether it is a guitar, piano, trumpet, saxophone, drums, flute, or any other, can make for good physical exercise. The muscles that you move develop along with your breathing and cardio.

5. Stress Relief

   Whenever you find yourself with anxiety, you can use a musical instrument as a distraction. It preoccupies you until you feel calmer. Studies support that music can help to cope with insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
   
   Learn more about how to relieve stress - click here!

6. Establish New Relationships

   By playing music, you can easily find yourself involved in a community where you can meet new friends. Finding new people and developing new relationships help build moral support. Music is a good starting point for a conversation as it is widely known, experienced, and enjoyed.

7. Improve Physical Coordination

   As you practice playing the instrument, you use different parts of your body. From your head, fingers, hand, and sometimes even your feet to the rhythm of the beat. Overall, this encourages you to develop better coordination that you can also apply in other daily activities.

8. Express One's Self

   Music lets you express yourself as an individual. Whether you are playing an original piece or covering a song you love. Your form of creativity and self-expression reinforces how unique you are as a person. This is one of the important aspects that we tend to forget and that we should strive to cultivate more.

9. Challenge Yourself

   Despite age, we should still strive to better ourselves because this is what keeps us going. Playing a musical instrument is one way you can challenge yourself to learn new things. Even when you have managed to learn one instrument, there are still many others to try.

10. Boost Happiness and Positivity

    Music has its way of keeping us in a positive mood. If you notice, good music makes us smile more and places us in a happier state. Playing music brings this experience to the next level. You can feel pride in making yourself and others experience this happiness.

Learning to play an instrument could feel challenging, but it is doable. We should not hinder ourselves from discovering new things that we can do despite our age. We think that regardless of age, you deserve to grow to find purpose in what you do.

Also, check out What Is Music Therapy? And What Are the Benefits?

Are you trying to decide which instrument to get started with? Click here! 

Or, have you picked an instrument, and you're trying to learn how to play it? Check out our post, The Top Resources to Learn to Play an Instrument from Home!

Click here to learn more about the benefits of listening to music for the aging brain! 

Related Content:

• Top Musical Instruments for Beginners to Learn in Retirement
• The Top Resources to Learn to Play an Instrument from Home