How language learning can make you healthier

There has been a lot of talk about how exercising and eating healthy can make you fitter, which in turn can increase your mental abilities; what is overlooked is how learning a foreign language can also increase your health, both mental and physical. This blog will focus on how lifting up the language phrase book could increase your chances of lifting up the weights.

Better cognitive ability

In the blog “www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com“) there is a statement that learning a new language makes you better at decision-making skills. Much of health involves good life choices, making and solidifying habits are the foundation to a healthy life. Learning a foreign language not only is a sign of wanting to improve yourself, the increased use of your brain also spills over to increased conscious choices toward making a habit and making that habit stick.

A fit body also means a fit mind

The opposite is true as well; studies have shown that your mind is primed for studying best right after exercise (see the book “spark”).

Better perceptual ability

In the blog “www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com” there is mention of a perceptual study done demonstrating that bilingual children in Spain fared better with catching differences in other languages that are not related. This cognitive discernment can translate to physical health as well. In instances where cognitive ability plays a role in quick decision making, better perceptual ability is an ally and makes you better at a sport, which make you more prone to engage in physical exercise, and therefore more willing to be healthy. In addition, the increased perceptual ability also means that you can perceive changes to the physical structure of your body. This heightened sense of awareness allows for an increase in perception of injury to the body, which can prevent injury. Like said above, the prevention of injury will allow you to be able to engage in exercise and sports for an increased duration of time, which will make you more engaged in your health. Likewise, when performing muscle-enhancing exercises, such as lifting weights, being able to sense how muscles are being engaged in the weight lifting process allows for better isolation of muscle groups, which can increase muscle gain faster than mindless lifting.

Faster task switching

In the blog (https://bebrainfit.com/brain-benefits-learning-second-language/) it has been discussed that improved language learning allows for faster task switching, this not only  allows for increased performance during sports and exercise but also allows for a faster increase to get into the workout “zone” this faster entrance into a flow state allows for an increased effectiveness in working out or exercise, thus allowing for an increase in health overall.

Learning another language enhances your social standing

This last one is a bit of a cheating comment, but it is true nonetheless. One of the biggest issue in certain results on the internet is the concept of the “confounding variable” this is the hidden idea that makes certain claims seem true that aren’t. For instance, it has long been stated that yoga can increase your health, longevity, and quality of life. While this is probably true, another factor that is overlooked is that people of higher social standing tend to disproportionately make up the average yoga session and that these people tend to live longer than people in lower social standings.

I know, you are asking yourself “that’s great, but what does this have to do with me?” Well, increasing a number of languages that you speak will increase your skill sets, which will make you more marketable for high

paid positions. This increase in career prospects may allow you to increase your quality of living and investment in your health. Therefore, language learning has an indirect increase in your physical well-being by increasing your socio-economic standing.

Increases your longevity by increasing your network and networking skills

An increase in your network and communication with those close around you increase your expected life longevity. Increasing your foreign language skills increases your ability to network, which vastly increases your ability to live a longer, happier, and healthier life.

Increases dementia and focus

Multiple studies have demonstrated that learning a foreign language increases the ability to focus more intensely for longer periods at a time. Likewise, recent studies have indicated that learning a foreign language can hold off instances of dementia. In both instances, an increase in the focus and decrease in the ability to not lose that focus is important for physical activity as focus is directly correlated with an increase in effectiveness in exercise, performance in sport, and eating healthy.

There you have it, increased language learning can also have huge health benefits. So, next time you go to eat a carrot instead of candy, or hit the gym, remember that learning the Spanish word for raccoon* did its (albeit little) part for you to make the healthier choices, and be healthier in your life.

*p.s. the word for raccoon in Spanish is (mapache).