Parents often encourage their children to try new things. In fact, that may be how your child started their participation in Girls On The Run (GOTR). But how often do parents encourage and allow themselves to try something new?

When Dr. Nancy Viscovich watched her kids in karate class, she was inspired by their graceful moves and lightning-fast kicks. 

“I thought ‘I want to do that’ but our culture kind of tells us that we shouldn’t,” said Viscovich, an SSM Health neuropsychologist. “Society tells us we’re supposed to be totally available as parents to support our kids and not take the time to learn something for ourselves.” Viscovich wrestled with the notion of signing up for an adult karate class, but finally decided to go for it.

“That was 11 years ago, and this June, I will become a third-degree black belt! I told one of my elderly patients about my karate classes and she said it sounded fun. I encouraged her to give karate a try and you know what? She did!”

She says it’s important to train the brain just as you would your body by finding new challenges on a regular basis and has these tips:

• Sign up for a class that sounds interesting.

• Revisit things you always wished you had learned.

• Set small goals to move forward in the learning process.

• Reserve regular time in your schedule to practice or work on new activities.

• Enjoy the journey and be proud of your efforts.

Studies have shown that regular exercise can improve cognitive abilities like problem solving, memory and concentration.

“We still don’t know if the physical activity, all by itself, is beneficial to the brain or does the mental challenge, frequency of the activity and the drive to improve play a part as well,” notes Viscovich, who also learned to play the violin two years ago. “The mind and body are interrelated, and a strong cardiovascular system can help protect the brain. For me, karate is both mentally and physically challenging which is why I like it so much and stuck with it for so long.”

“Not only am I having fun in karate and playing violin, but I am also gaining confidence and you will too if you commit to learning something. I also want to model something very important for my kids who are 15 and 17,” says Viscovich. “I want to show them that we can have a very exciting life as we continue to grow and learn.”

Maybe it’s time to allow your child's GOTR experience to spur you on to something new. Their courage and commitment can inspire you to learn a new language, play an instrument…or run your first 5K.