We all know that living a healthy lifestyle includes lots of exercises and healthy eating. But did you know that book reading or article reading can be good for your health too? Here are some reasons why you should invest in reading, especially when you’re bored or have some free time in between classes.
Learning
By reading, you learn. No matter what it is that you’re reading, you have a chance to take in information that you (most likely) hadn’t read before, giving you insight into someone else’s mind. If you’re reading a novel, you’re getting someone’s story. If you’re reading a textbook, you’re getting theories, ideas, or facts that have been proven by others. Either way, you’re learning something. That’s key to maintaining your health.
Relieving stress
Having a stressful day? Sit in a comfortable chair, pick up an interesting book, magazine, or newspaper and read it until you’re relaxed. Believe it or not, reading can help relieve some small stress that you have by taking your mind off of what’s bothering you for a while.
Improving your memory
When you consistently read every day, you start to remember more information that you take in. You get a chance to strengthen that muscle in your memory that retains information, giving you more of an opportunity to improve your memory altogether. Having a great memory can help you live longer and remember the things that you never want to forget.
Developing close reading skills
When you read things over and over, you begin to see how the author really wanted you to understand the information. For example, let’s say that you’re reading a novel and you come across a passage that can be understood in multiple ways. When you read it over and over, you begin to form a clear picture as to how exactly the author intended you to interpret it based off of sentence structure, words used, grammar, etc. This can come in handy when you’re studying for a class.
It’s cheap
Most books are relatively cheap. (We know, those textbooks can get pricy. But there are other ways to find the information that you’re looking for, for a much cheaper way. The point is that you have a ton of valuable, useful information in your hands for little cost. If you really want to learn, it’ll be worth any amount.
Learn how to write better
Learning how to write better comes from practising and reading. When we read things, we see how other people do it. Then we take that into account when we ourselves are writing as well. This means that those papers that you’re writing for class can become easier the more that you read.
Better vocabulary
Reading requires you to understand words in order to understand the message that the author is portraying. If you don’t know a word, you have to look it up or else you risk not understanding the message. Because of this, you learn different words that you can now utilize outside of reading, like in an interview or in a class discussion. The benefits are endless.
Better than alternatives
Reading gives you a chance to learn, connect with a story, and grow as a person. This can be better than the alternatives that you have, like playing video games or doing nothing at all. At the Rec Center, we know how important your time is. So why not spend it doing something that is going to be beneficial to your future?
Stimulate your mind
Taking in information and formulating your own thoughts when you read gives you a chance to stimulate your mind and really keep your mental health sharp. Getting exercise, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep are all important too, but you can’t do any of those things efficiently unless your mind is being stimulated too.