Reading can have a lot of benefits for your health
The wonder of curling up with a good book will never really go away, no matter how many ebooks are thrown at us.
Learning to read is one of the first things we do at school but reading novels is unfortunately not as popular among adults as it used to be.
Yet with many studies suggesting the very positive advantages of reading, we’ve put together a list of reasons why you should take up the hobby on a regular basis. There is never a shortage of novels to read!
Improves your memory
One of the main benefits of reading is that it greatly improves your memory, which could help prevent dementia.
Novels require you to remember exactly what is going on over the length of time it takes you to read it, so it’s no wonder that your memory muscles will be put through a workout.
Stimulates thought
Novels often challenge us to think differently about the world or to work out the mystery in a whodunit. Reading stimulates our brain muscles into thinking, which helps to improve our intelligence and knowledge.
Picking up a non-fiction book about a particular topic could help your general knowledge and expertise, which in turn will improve your self-esteem amongst your friends.
You’ll soon be the first port of call for your friends if they want to learn something new!
Decreases boredom
No matter how many channels we receive on the television, in our household we always get bored of what's on the box!
Reading gives you an alternative way to wind down in the evening whilst improving your brain power at the same time.
Be careful though – if you get hooked on a novel, you won’t want to put it down to go to bed!
Improves concentration and focus
Another health benefit of reading is that it improves your concentration and focus.
Unlike our bite-sized social media world, reading requires us to concentrate for extended periods of time on one thing, which will certainly help when it comes to staying focused in other areas of our lives.
Provides cheap entertainment
If you have ever been inside a used book store, you’ll know that you can pick up lots of novels very cheaply.
With other forms of entertainment such as going to the cinema always increasing in price, the sheer volume of novels produced means that they’ll always be a cheaper option.
Reading a novel also provides a longer form of entertainment than a movie, and for me there is simply no equivalent to sitting down with a good book in my hands.
Try picking up a novel now and you’ll soon see what you’re missing out on. It doesn’t matter what you read – so long as you give it a go!
Share your reading experiences with us by commenting below!