---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not all activities are equal in this…"
description: "\"Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg"
---

#  Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that…

![“Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and dancing—are associated with a lower risk for dementia. Dancing, which requires learning new moves, is both physically and mentally challenging and…” quote by Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg)

> “Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and dancing—are associated with a lower risk for dementia. Dancing, which requires learning new moves, is both physically and mentally challenging and requires much concentration. Less intense activities, such as bowling, babysitting, and golfing, are not associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s. (254)”

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Activities that demand focused mental effort and learning protect against dementia, while low‑challenge tasks do not.

**In simple terms:** Focused, learning‑rich activities lower dementia risk.

Key Takeaway

Engage in challenging, skill‑building hobbies.

Themes

brain health learning aging neuroplasticity

Mood

motivational inspirational

Type

advice health aging

When to use this quote

- learning an instrument
- playing strategy games
- reading complex material
- dancing
- learning new skills

Key Concepts

cognitive reserve neurogenesis

Questions to Reflect On

- What new skill could you start learning?
- How can you make daily routines more mentally demanding?

A Different Perspective

Simple, passive activities offer little protective benefit.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alzheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer/) [Alzheimer 's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer-s/) [Babysitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babysitting/) [Board games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/board-games/) [Boards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) [Bowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Concentration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentration/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Dementia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dementia/) [Dementia Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dementia-dancing-3145156/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Genuine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine/) [Golfing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golfing/) [Incidence Alzheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incidence-alzheimer-3145157/) [Instruments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruments/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Learning new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-new/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musical instruments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-instruments/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Requires Concentration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires-concentration-416261/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Dementia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-dementia-1402687/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/)

## Related quotes

> [Not all activities are equal... Those that involve genuine concentration - studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and dancing - are associated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/not-all-activities-are-equal-those-that-involve-genuine-concentration/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [The incidence of Alzheimer's disease is growing at a pace like never before, affecting people at a younger and younger age. This is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-creme/the-incidence-of-alzheimer-s-disease-is-growing-at-a-pace-like-never/)

[Benjamin Creme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-creme/)

> [“For people who never consumed fish, the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease during the four-year follow-up period was increased by 37 percent. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/for-people-who-never-consumed-fish-the-risk-of-dementia-and-alzheimer/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [A new study suggests that middle-aged adults who go on periodic drinking binges may face a heightened risk of dementia later on in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/a-new-study-suggests-that-middle-aged-adults-who-go-on-periodic/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [“Regular users of butter had no significant change in their risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s, but people who regularly consumed omega-3-rich oils, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/regular-users-of-butter-had-no-significant-change-in-their-risk-for/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [Movie acting, I later realized, reminds me of contract bridge. Each requires the same concentration, intense short-term memory, and obliviousness to everything else until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/movie-acting-i-later-realized-reminds-me-of-contract-bridge-each/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [In order to give meaning to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/in-order-to-give-meaning-to-the-world-one-has-to-feel-oneself/)

[Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/)

> [... programming requires more concentration than other activities. It's the reason programmers get upset about 'quick interruptions' - such interruptions are tantamount to asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcconnell/programming-requires-more-concentration-than-other-activities-it-s/)

[Steve McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcconnell/)

> [It’s never going to be very mainstream. One reason is that poetry requires concentration, both on the part of the writer and the reader.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-armitage/it-s-never-going-to-be-very-mainstream-one-reason-is-that-poetry/)

[Simon Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-armitage/)

> [Writing requires the concentration of the writer, demands that nothing else be done except that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/writing-requires-the-concentration-of-the-writer-demands-that-nothing/)

[Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/)

> [As with many teens, my first jobs included babysitting and mopping floors at McDonald's. Since then, I've held jobs a diverse as selling used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/as-with-many-teens-my-first-jobs-included-babysitting-and-mopping/)

[Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/)

> [Whatever the explanation, it's perfectly obvious that our educational system has nothing to do with education: it's a babysitting service designed to replicate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/whatever-the-explanation-it-s-perfectly-obvious-that-our-educational/)

[Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/)

> [I grew up babysitting and watching TRL after school. But the fact that I'm part of the whole new scripted development program that they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-rose-reed/i-grew-up-babysitting-and-watching-trl-after-school-but-the-fact-that/)

[Jillian Rose Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-rose-reed/)

> [I spent my summers in Connecticut scooping ice cream and babysitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-gummer/i-spent-my-summers-in-connecticut-scooping-ice-cream-and-babysitting/)

[Grace Gummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-gummer/)

> [I was working part-time as a cleaner while I was going to college and then babysitting after school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alek-wek/i-was-working-part-time-as-a-cleaner-while-i-was-going-to-college-and/)

[Alek Wek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alek-wek/)

## More by Norman Doidge

> [“If you want to lift a hundred pounds, you don't expect to succeed the first time. You start with a lighter weight and work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/if-you-want-to-lift-a-hundred-pounds-you-don-t-expect-to-succeed-the/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [Mind training matters. It is not just a luxury, or a supplementary vitamin for the soul. It determines the quality of every instant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/mind-training-matters-it-is-not-just-a-luxury-or-a-supplementary/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“Mr. L. did not get better all at once. He had first to experience cycles of separations, dreams, depressions, and insights—the repetition, or 'working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/mr-l-did-not-get-better-all-at-once-he-had-first-to-experience-cycles/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“He has repeatedly shown that by explaining neurological “oddities,” he can shed light on the functioning of normal brains. “I hate crowds in science,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/he-has-repeatedly-shown-that-by-explaining-neurological-oddities-he/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“Psychotherapy works by going deep into the brain and its neurons and changing their structure by turning on the right genes. Psychiatrist Dr. Susan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/psychotherapy-works-by-going-deep-into-the-brain-and-its-neurons-and/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [Everything having to do with human training and education has to be re-examined in light of neuroplasticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/everything-having-to-do-with-human-training-and-education-has-to-be/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [Language development, for instance, has a critical period that begins in infancy and ends between eight years and puberty. After this critical period closes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/language-development-for-instance-has-a-critical-period-that-begins/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [The brain is a far more open system than we ever imagined, and nature has gone very far to help us perceive and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/the-brain-is-a-far-more-open-system-than-we-ever-imagined-and-nature/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“One of these scientists even showed that thinking, learning, and acting can turn our genes on or off, thus shaping our brain anatomy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/one-of-these-scientists-even-showed-that-thinking-learning-and-acting/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [We all have what might be called a culturally modified brain, and as cultures evolve, they continually lead to new changes in the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/we-all-have-what-might-be-called-a-culturally-modified-brain-and-as/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [Thought changes structure... I saw people rewire their brains with their thoughts, to cure previously incurable obsessions and trauma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/thought-changes-structure-i-saw-people-rewire-their-brains-with-their/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“No other instinct can so satisfy without accomplishing its biological purpose, and no other instinct is so disconnected from its purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/no-other-instinct-can-so-satisfy-without-accomplishing-its-biological/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“Kandel argues that when psychotherapy changes people, 'it presumably does so through learning, by producing changes in gene expression that alter the strength of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/kandel-argues-that-when-psychotherapy-changes-people-it-presumably/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [“For children to know and regulate their emotions, and be socially connected, they need to experience this kind of interaction many hundreds of times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/for-children-to-know-and-regulate-their-emotions-and-be-socially/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

> [We must be learning if we are to feel fully alive, and when life, or love, becomes too predictable and it seems like there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/we-must-be-learning-if-we-are-to-feel-fully-alive-and-when-life-or/)

[Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

[Explore all 36 Norman Doidge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/)

## More Alzheimer quotes

> [People do not realize that Alzheimer's is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease, and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-kanakaredes/people-do-not-realize-that-alzheimer-s-is-not-old-age-it-is-a/)

[Melina Kanakaredes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-kanakaredes/)

> [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/)

[John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/)

> [Today is the best day I could ever have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-dees/today-is-the-best-day-i-could-ever-have/)

[Rick Dees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-dees/)

> [Inflammation is the cornerstone of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis - all of the neurodegenerative diseases are really predicated on inflammation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/inflammation-is-the-cornerstone-of-alzheimer-s-disease-and-parkinson/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [I have a particular passion and focus on Alzheimer's and diseases of dementia. There's just so much scientifically that we don't know, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-d-white/i-have-a-particular-passion-and-focus-on-alzheimer-s-and-diseases-of/)

[Miles D. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-d-white/)

> [I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer's disease, and to stand by and watch him decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-loved-my-husband-very-much-and-it-was-heartbreaking-to-have-him/)

[Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/)

> [The modern rise of Alzheimer's Disease in the twentieth century is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of success. Success in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-modern-rise-of-alzheimer-s-disease-in-the-twentieth-century-is/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [You don't just wake up one day with dementia or Alzheimer's; these conditions are developmental. Even when a problem triggers the need to collect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-le/you-don-t-just-wake-up-one-day-with-dementia-or-alzheimer-s-these/)

[Tan Le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-le/)

> [There is a version of Alzheimer's which is early onset Alzheimer's. And it's - it's horrible, because people do get it in their 50s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-davis/there-is-a-version-of-alzheimer-s-which-is-early-onset-alzheimer-s/)

[Patti Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-davis/)

> [I'm in awe of people out there who deal with Alzheimer's, because they have to deal with death 10 times over, year after year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-wallace/i-m-in-awe-of-people-out-there-who-deal-with-alzheimer-s-because-they/)

[Marcia Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-wallace/)

> [I started out as a neurologist. I then trained in neuropathology and was focused on neurodegeneration. So, for years, I studied Alzheimer's, aging, Parkinson's,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-mckee/i-started-out-as-a-neurologist-i-then-trained-in-neuropathology-and/)

[Ann McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-mckee/)

> [I am saddened when I hear these words -this is not the person I knew - because those words objectify the person suffering from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-demarco/i-am-saddened-when-i-hear-these-words-this-is-not-the-person-i-knew/)

[Bob DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-demarco/)

> [I regard music therapy as a tool of great power in many neurological disorders -- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's -- because of its unique capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sacks/i-regard-music-therapy-as-a-tool-of-great-power-in-many-neurological/)

[Oliver Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sacks/)

> [It occurred to me that at one point it was like I had two diseases - one was Alzheimers, and the other was knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-occurred-to-me-that-at-one-point-it-was-like-i-had-two-diseases/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [The simplest way to look at all these associations, between obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and Alzheimer's (not to mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-simplest-way-to-look-at-all-these-associations-between-obesity/)

[Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/)

[Browse all 179 Alzheimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and dancing—are associated with a lower risk for dementia. Dancing, which requires learning new moves, is both physically and mentally challenging and requires much concentration. Less intense activities, such as bowling, babysitting, and golfing, are not associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s. (254)",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Norman Doidge"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-regard-those-that-involve/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alzheimer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-regard-those-that-involve/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/norman-doidge-17677_alzheimer_not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-reg_2757342.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical…” — Norman Doidge",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Norman Doidge",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Not all activities are equal in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-regard-those-that-involve/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/not-all-activities-are-equal-in-this-regard-those-that-involve/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
