by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
https://pixabay.com/photos/book-woman-park-read-reading-1835799/
Many of us don’t realise that immersing ourselves in a book is so good for our health. In fact, studies show that 30 minutes of reading has as many health benefits as half an hour of yoga!
Take a look at the list below of the different ways that reading is good for your health.
Reading lowers blood pressure
In a 2009 American study, reading for 30 minutes was as good as yoga, or a humour session, at lowering blood pressure. On average, both groups had a reduction in systolic (upper reading) blood pressure from 110 to 105 mm Hg, and diastolic (lower reading) blood pressure fell from 65 to 62 mm Hg. Reading dampens down the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
Reading slows age-related cognitive decline
MRI brain scans of those who read regularly, at least twice a week, have shown changes in brain structure, including an increase in grey matter and improved neural connections in white matter. Cognitive ability has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. In one study, over a 4-year period, for each additional point on the cognition score, the risk of Alzheimer’s decreased by 64%.
Reading helps you live longer
Reading for 30 minutes a day has been shown to increase life expectancy by 23 months. This is believed to be because reading lowers stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves critical thinking and reasoning. Reading helps develop social skills and emotional intelligence.
Reading helps you sleep
The 2021 People’s Trial recruited 991 people via social media, who were randomly assigned to either read a book every night before sleep for 15-30 minutes or not read a book, over a period of 7 days.
42% of those who read at night felt their sleep improved as compared to 28% of the non-readers. Sleep quality in the reading group was statistically significantly improved. There was also a reduction in night-time awakenings in the reading group, but also a small increase in daytime sleepiness.
The authors suggested that reading is a low-cost alternative to improve sleep, which gives a realistic alternative to medication or time-consuming treatments such as CBT.
Reading lowers stress
A 2009 research study from Sussex University showed that reading for only 6 minutes a day can lower stress by as much as 68%. Reading was the best way to lower stress as compared to listening to music (61%), drinking tea and coffee (54%) or walking (42%). Reading was also found to lower heart rate.
The author commented that reading engages the forebrain which has a role as the ‘anxiety brake.’ Once you become engrossed in a book, your anxieties dissipate quickly as specific areas of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, are activated.
Reading can help strengthen relationships
We find out about the world and others by reading. This broadens our outlook and enables us to understand the society we live in, along with issues such as ethnicity, class, history, politics and culture.
When you are reading, this puts you into a more relaxed state, when you are less likely to feel argumentative. This can mean you find the relationships around you easier to manage.
You also learn a lot about how to conduct relationships by reading about fictional characters. You develop empathy with the characters and care about the outcome. This influences your own relationship skills on a daily basis.
Reading can improve depression
Reading is recognised to help alleviate depression. Those suffering from depression often feel isolated and lonely. When we read, we become connected to other people’s worlds, which helps us feel engaged. Reading lowers anxiety which often coexists with depression.
The NHS now provides the Reading Well scheme, in which books can be borrowed free of charge from your local library, about mental health issues and how to deal with them, as well as personal stories.
Those with severe mental illness, such as severe depression, anxiety or PTSD may have difficulty reading. They often find it hard to engage with the text due to fear, flashbacks and poor concentration. The best advice is to persevere, read something you like and find interesting, read for short bursts and keep trying. Perhaps try listening to audiobooks?
Final thoughts
It may not have occurred to you that something as simple as reading for half an hour a day could be so beneficial for your health. Any reading is good reading, but these studies have all been done on people reading fiction.
- Why not get started today?
- What could you read and improve your health?
