Playing cards and joining clubs keeps your muscles young
Regularly visiting a local bridge club or community theater can reduce the risk of physical frailty by up to six percent, acting as a form of non-medical insurance.
A long-term study of more than 12,000 older Australians reveals that the secret to maintaining physical strength may not be found in a gym, but in a deck of cards or a community hall. Participants who joined local organizations or social clubs were roughly 3% less likely to become frail over a seven-year period. Those who engaged in mentally taxing hobbies like chess or complex puzzles saw an even greater benefit, with their risk of physical decline dropping by about 4%. These activities effectively function as distributed healthcare, keeping the nervous system and muscles in regular use without the need for a single prescription.