In the cold winter months, routines can become mundane. To achieve optimal health, it is important to make time for hobbies like art, reading and music according to Heidi Yachter in her article titled, “In Praise of Healthy Hobbies”. Yale conducted a study that divided 3,635 Americans over the age of 50 into three groups. These groups of participants included those that didn’t read, those that read up to 3 1/2 hours each week and those who read more than 3 1/2 hours each week. When researchers controlled for variables like race, sex, class, education and self-reported health those that read books were 20 percent less likely to die prematurely than those that do not read. Book readers were also found to live an additional 23 months. Some strengths that readers possessed were recall and ability to count backwards, which were skills found in previous longevity studies.
Art and music have been found to decrease stress in people. Researchers did a study measuring cortisol levels before and after making art like using clay, drawing or creating collages. The results showed that 3/4 of the participants showed reduced levels of cortisol after doing art work. Music is another hobby that can have beneficial effects on health. In a study done in Germany, 120 participants were subjected to either Mozart, Strauss or ABBA. The other group sat in silence for 25 minutes. During this time, subjects’ blood pressure, heart rate and levels of cortisol were measured. Those that listened to Mozart or Strauss had lowered blood pressure and heart rate, while the other genres and even those that sat in silence had reduced cortisol levels. In conclusion, reading, art and music can all have benefits for your long-term health. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.
Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/in-praise-of-healthy-hobbies/
