It’s a common misconception that learning new skills or starting something new is a young person’s game.
Adults may believe they’re too old or too busy to pick up a new hobby or ability. However, research and firsthand accounts reveal that adults not only can learn new skills but often excel at doing so. From cognitive health benefits to the joy of personal growth, lifelong learning is proving to be a fulfilling journey that builds confidence in adults.
Tim Bream, a sports physiologist, emphasized the benefits of starting a new sport later in life in an article for Aviv Clinics.
“While our engagement in team sports often declines with age, research indicates that sports offer significant health benefits,” Bream wrote. “As an athletic trainer and exercise physiologist for more than four decades, I’ve seen firsthand how age doesn’t need to be a barrier. Instead, it’s a permission slip to try something new. Sure, our joints might creak a bit louder, but our spirit is as spry as ever.”
Bream highlighted pickleball as a low-impact sport that sharpens hand-eye coordination and fosters quick thinking. A study conducted at the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State revealed that seniors aged 70 to 90 experienced improved cognitive performance after participating in team sports.
Josh Toone, a father of two, began running seriously at age 34.
“I wanted to try out doing something really athletic,” Toone said. “I’d always enjoyed running, so that’s why I chose to start doing that regularly.”
Toone set running a marathon as his goal. He spent over a year training, working harder for the six months leading up to the race. Despite setbacks like injuries and training issues, he completed his first marathon in the fall of 2021.
“You just add a little bit every other week,” Toone explained. “Eventually, you just kind of build up to these huge amounts of miles … It builds up your confidence as you go.”
Toone balanced running with his responsibilities by making the most of his mornings.
“I have kids, so I needed to be available to help with school schedules,” Toone said. “I would run before my family woke up, and on the weekends, do longer runs while my wife was home.”
Toone found running to be both physically and mentally rewarding.
“It’s kind of a relaxing sport when you’re not pushing the intensity a lot,” Toone said. “And then there’s the reward of spending six months of hard training to accomplish something.”
While Toone often ran solo, he used Strava, a social app for athletes which allows users to track their workouts, set goals and share progress. Seeing others hit their goals encouraged him.
“You don’t have to be the fastest guy out there,” Toone said. “You can still accomplish your goals.”
Toone shared a memorable moment from his marathon, to encourage those feeling as if it’s too late to start running,
“I was getting to the last few miles, I was really tired, and a guy probably 20 years older than me passed me and gave me a thumbs up. He told me, ‘Hey man, keep it up, you’re doing a good job.’ I realized it doesn’t matter what your age is. It’s just about consistency in training.”
While running provided Toone with a sense of accomplishment and confidence, other adults, like Erika Venza, have found similar fulfillment through different activities, such as figure skating.
“If you’ve always wanted to learn how to skate, don’t let age hold you back,” Venza wrote in a blog for Adults Skate Too. “Skating is a low-impact, social, and fun activity that you can enjoy at any age.”
Unlike high-impact sports that can strain joints, skating offers a gentler alternative. “This makes it a great choice for people of all ages, including older adults who may have arthritis or other joint problems,” Venza wrote.
Skating also helps improve balance, flexibility and overall fitness without adding unnecessary stress on the body. According to Venza, another advantage is that adults can progress at their own pace.
In his article for Psychology Today, “8 Tips for Learning a New Skill,” Dr. Shahram Heshmat emphasized practical strategies for mastering new abilities.
Heshmat suggested setting clear goals, focusing on intrinsic motivation, and adopting a growth mindset. These principles make the process more manageable and rewarding. For adults, leveraging strengths like better focus and a deeper sense of purpose is key to success.
These ideas can be used in many areas, including music. Setting SMART goals can help adults focus on their learning.
Kristen Reinsch, a vocal coach, agrees that adults have unique advantages in the learning process.
“Adults are usually quicker [to] study,” Reinsch said. “They understand what I’m talking about, and they have a better sense of their body and their instruments.”
Reinsch described how working with adults can differ when compared to teaching children.
“With a kid, I’ll have to be like, ‘Sing like Mickey Mouse.’ An adult, I can be like, ‘Oh, you’re holding tension,’ and they can listen and understand direction a little more clearly,” Reinsch said.
Learning a new skill also has profound cognitive benefits. On an episode of the “Speaking of Psychology” podcast, Dr. Rachel Wu explained that the brain remains adaptable throughout life, and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities can delay cognitive decline and improve brain plasticity.
Wu highlighted that skills learned in adulthood maintain neural connections, keeping the brain sharp.
Belen Leon, a 27-year-old general studies major at Salt Lake Community College, has experience with adaptability. Leon recently began practicing Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art that involves kicking and punching, and reflected on the progress she’s made in just four months.
“I feel like I already have muscle memory for the moves,” Leon said.
Leon also started piano lessons at age 18 and reached an intermediate level within six months.
“If you feel like you don’t have the time, you just make the time. You arrange it into your schedule,” Leon said.
Leticia Carlos, 32, shared her journey of learning Italian and Tagalog language, and the Chinese martial art of Tai Chi. For more than five years, Carlos learned to master the complete Tai Chi form and developed muscle memory for its movements.
“In the five years I did Tai Chi, I improved and had muscle memory and was able to do the whole form of Tai Chi easily,” Carlos said.
Though she’s not fluent in the languages yet, Carlos appreciates the foundational skills she’s gained.
“Starting these skills boosts confidence. It just makes you feel like you’ve attained something, and you can do more,” Carlos said.
Whether it’s playing an instrument, running, skating on ice, or learning a new language, adult learners show that age is not a barrier but an invitation. By embracing clear goals, intrinsic motivation and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone, adults can discover the joy of lifelong learning and the power of their own potential.
