Benefits of putting play in your day!

Are you spending some time playing? There are many benefits for children when they play and research shows that there are also many health benefits for adults. We got to thinking about this subject recently when there were some snow storms. We decided it would be fun to play on a snowy day by taking a walk to enjoy the big flakes coming down. Then we even got down in the snow and made snow angels.

We agree with George Bernard Shaw who said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

In case you’ve been so busy and have forgotten how to play, here are some ways to play. The key to play is to have it be unstructured and to not worry what others will think of you as you play. There doesn’t have to be any point to it, except to have fun. Some ways to play are building snowmen, exploring a hobby like pottery, fishing or learning some magic tricks. Also, you could play pool, miniature golf, sing karaoke or do anything that you might like to do. Remember, there is no particular goal with play, only to enjoy the process and feel the freedom of play.

Some of the benefits of play include improvements in physical health, mental health and relationships. Physical health is especially improved when play is active, like biking or walking as these help coordination, stimulate muscle growth and increase stamina. Playing can also lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and help people feel younger and more energetic – and that is true even when the play is not physically active.

There are plenty of benefits and ways to play even if you find yourself physically challenged. Often board games help brain function and focus. These types of games are used to help prevent memory problems and improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Coloring books for adults are very popular now. Coloring also helps the brain by promoting creativity, concentration and focus as well. Psychologist Carl Jung even used coloring to help his patients feel centered. Research shows that the amygdala, a part of the brain that is involved in stress responses, seems to calm down.

Relationships can improve when people engage in some play activities together. Playing promotes friendships, socialization and laughter as well as reducing stress. Play helps people to develop trust, intimacy and empathy for others. Joy and vitality can help to enliven relationships and make them more resilient.

Many companies are including time for play and fun activities for their employees because then their employees show improved creativity, productivity and have more engagement in the work process. Also, employees miss less work and, because they are happier at work, they are less likely to leave.
We went out to talk to some other people to find out about their play activities and what they feel are the resulting benefits.

We met Greg Stignani, his fiancé Abby Graham and Greg’s grandmother, Nancy Augustson. We asked them what kind of play they enjoyed and how they benefitted from taking time to play. Greg offered, “I enjoy playing with models, things like LEGOs and trains. The benefits are that you get a different perspective from what we have on a life-size scale, so you can imagine how things fit together better and you can imagine new ways of making things fit together. It’s something I have done since a kid.”

When asked the same questions, Abby said, “I’m a physical therapist and for me playing means being active. I love to do things that are very active like hiking or biking being outside, just being in nature. I think there’s something very renewing to your spirit by being outside and enjoying activity.”

Nancy shared, “I like puzzles. I have four cats at home and I play with them. I like to go to concerts and I work Sudoku puzzles, too.” I asked Nancy what the benefits of play were for her and she shared, “It takes my mind off anything else that I might be worrying about, so I think that’s a big benefit. I don’t get as many physical benefits as I used to get when I was more active.”

We shared some ways to play and the benefits. What do you want to do for play?

Here’s a challenge: We encourage you to identify how you want to play. Then actually schedule the time so you can gain the many health benefits of putting some play in your day.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.