The benefits of reading for the mind and body
JOIN THE BOOK CLUB, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU.
IF YOU GET INTO THE HABIT OF READING AT BEDTIME, YOUR BODY WILL SLOWLY FIGURE OUT THAT IT’S TIME TO SLEEP, IMPROVING YOUR SLEEP PATTERNS
AS HUMANITY HAS delved deeper into the digital age, recreational reading as a habit has been on a slow decline, with Australians increasingly preferring the web, videogames, movies and TV to keep ourselves entertained. Those who do enjoy reading, however, find plenty of reasons to keep at it — it’s fun, it can be cheap (if not free) and is incredibly immersive. Those reasons probably won’t be enough to convince non-readers to join the booklovers club, but there are actually even more compelling — and surprising — reasons why you might want to pick up a new book. [Or a magazine subscription, for that matter! — Ed] For this month’s Get Psyched feature, we’ve decided to delve deeper into the benefits of reading, not just on the brain, but on the body, too.
KEEPING THE BRAIN YOUNG AND FIRING
A study published in the journal Neurology in 2013 found that elderly individuals who, over the period of a lifetime, pursued creative or intellectual pastimes — like reading or solving crosswords — had a 32% slower late-life cognitive decline rate than those who didn’t, with these activities effectively keeping diseases like Alzheimer’s at bay. Reading can also bring existing but dormant neural pathways in the brain back to life. It improves memory by stimulating parts of the brain that watching movies or listening to music has no effect on, and it has been found that avid readers have more complex brains.
THERAPY ON A PAGE
In addition, reading can improve analytical thinking, increase focus and concentration and be therapeutic. Patients suffering from depression have reported that reading aloud can make them feel better and be more positive, with researchers reporting that it can reduce stress by up to 68% — much more than listening to music or going for a walk. According to British neuroscientist (and Baroness) Susan Greenfield, reading can increase attention spans — at least in children — teaching them to link cause and effects.
EXPANDING HORIZONS
Books are also, of course, a great way to increase your knowledge base. They can improve vocabulary, both in adults and kids, and be a source of titbits of new information. Being articulate could help you at your workplace, or even help you snag a new job. Reading will improve your grammar, thus also aiding your writing skills. And for non-native speakers, reading can be a great way to learn a new language.
IMPROVED WELLBEING
The subject matter you read about is also important. If you’re of a spiritual bent, reading related texts has been known to reduce blood pressure. If you’re looking for a temporary escape from the travails of real life, reading a fantasy novel could stimulate excitement and spark the imagination. York University researchers have also found that stories provide life-changing perspectives that help you understand other people’s feelings, making you more empathetic towards your friends and family. Associating with your favourite characters can also help you achieve your life goals. Reading about a character achieve something could motivate you to do the same. And their in-book relationships could improve your real-life ones, too.
Plus, if you get into the habit of reading at bedtime, your body will slowly figure out that it’s time to sleep, improving your sleep patterns — although if that’s your goal, you might want to stick to reading paper-and-ink books as opposed to iPads which emit sleep-disrupting blue light. Same goes for some e-reader models.
What about the physical benefits we mentioned? Well, if you exercise on a treadmill and take a good book with you, as opposed to using music as your workout buddy, chances are you’ll stay on the treadmill longer if you’re engrossed in the material.
And books don’t have to be expensive either — join a library and they’re practically free... well, as long as you return them on time!