Dancing as heart-lifting as big pay rise

VISITING the library, dancing and going swimming can make people as happy as a £5 000 (R89 000) salary increase, a new study shows.

Researchers from the London School of Economics found that sports, culture and the arts have a significant impact on people’s happiness. They then assessed how much money it would take to give people a similar boost in their level of wellbeing.

They concluded that playing sport each week is equivalent to being given an extra £1 127 (R20 000) a year on average, while regular involvement in the arts through enjoying music, dance or plays, for example, is worth £1 084 (R19 300) a year.

The most beneficial activity, apparently, is taking part in dancing, worth £1 671 (R29 740), closely followed by swimming which is worth £1 630 (R29 000) a year. Visiting libraries regularly is worth £1 359 (R24 200) a year.

The researchers analysed 40 000 British households, stripping out the impact of other fac- tors on people’s happiness such as age, wealth, health, children and education.

The report suggested that swimming had a more significant impact on wellbeing than almost any other sport, almost twice as much as soccer or cycling.

It found people who enjoyed the arts were 5.4% more likely to report good health, while those involved in sport were 14.1% more likely to be healthy.

People who take part in sports save almost £100 (R1 780) a year in health costs. – Daily Telegraph