Take an Adult Education Class

Quick Win

To challenge your brain, make new friends and expand your horizons, and enroll in a class on a subject that interests you.

Try This Today

• In-person classes: Many municipalities offer adult and continuing education courses through their public school systems. And you may be able to sign up for adult recreation classes — everything from pickleball to pottery — via your parks and recreation department. Other good places to check include nearby community colleges, your local library and community centers such as the YMCA.
• Online options: Whether you’re interested in learning Python (a programming language) or Thai cooking, you’ll find both free and fee-based options at coursera.com and edX.org. Many classes are on-demand, although you can also find live classes that meet at a particular time.

Why

Committing to lifelong learning helps keep your mind engaged while introducing you to new people, ideas and experiences. In a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2023 that analyzed data from 282,421 adults ages 40 to 69, researchers found that those who took adult education classes had a 19 percent lower risk of developing dementia than those who didn’t.