Fun Hobbies That Make You Healthier
We tend to think of hobbies as purely things that people do for leisure. But it turns out that many of them can also have profound positive effects on our health. What’s more, some of the hobbies on this list are totally unexpected. You wouldn’t think that they would offer such profound health benefits, but they do.
Fun Hobbies #1 – Cooking
People cook as a hobby to create delicious meals. But it turns out that learning to cook allows you to create dishes that are substantially healthier than they would otherwise be.
For instance, research shows that food from take-outs has more fat, salt and sugar than recipes that you make at home. So cooking could not only teach you a new skill, but also help you slim down your waistline.
Fun Hobbies #2 – Volunteering
You wouldn’t think that volunteering and health were connected. But it turns out that just being a part of your local community can improve your emotional wellbeing. And this, in turn, can have knock-on effects on your overall health.
Think about it: when you invest your time and energy into serving others, it gives you a feel-good factor. You want to help people because you would like them to do the same if your circumstances were reversed. It also allows you to meet and talk to people, preventing isolation.
Fun Hobbies #3 – Dancing
Getting dance lessons can be one of the best things that you ever do for your health. Have you ever noticed that dancers have the best figures? That’s because dance involves moving the body rhythmically and in many different ways, taxing all of its systems. You need balance, grace, poise, muscle strength and cardiovascular health to be successful with it.
Fun Hobbies #4 – Learning A Musical Instrument
Learning to play a musical instrument becomes more difficult with age. But that doesn’t negate its profound health benefits. Learning to play the piano or guitar forces your brain’s neurons to fire in a different way. And this can encourage greater connectivity and neural activity, potentially protecting against neurodegenerative diseases.
Fun Hobbies #5 – Looking After A Pet
Looking after a pet can also massively improve your health. Benefits are both physical and mental.
On the physical side, having a dog makes it much more likely that you’ll go for walks and get fresh air at certain points during the day. And on the emotional side, being around an animal can help you feel less lonely and isolated, especially if you live alone.
Fun Hobbies #6 – Travelling
The same principle applies when you travel. If you stay in the same location all your life, you get used to it, and you no longer feel challenged by it. But if you regularly go to new places, you expose your brain to novelty and new ideas. These experiences then lead to increased activity in the neocortex.
Travelling is also good from a physical perspective too. Lugging your suitcases around airports is good exercise. But so too are the kinds of activities that people typically enjoy on holiday, such as walking, skiing, cycling, and watersports.
So, as you can see, there are a bunch of hobbies that can also make you healthier at the same time. Which will you include in your life?
Photos by Conscious Design – CCO Licence
PIN: 6 Fun Hobbies That Actually Make You Healthier
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