Get Social, Get Healthy!

Having friends and being active provide more than mere socialization. These factors also heavily weigh upon ones health. Studies show that an engaging social life is equally important for healthy aging as a balanced diet and exercise. As such, individuals who wish to remain strong and active well into old age can now turn to social interaction as a means of support.

Health Benefits of Friendship and Social Activity

Today, friends are an integral part of life. They serve to keep people informed, share intimacies and offer advice. Friends also, however, can be a source of motivation for achieving goals, engaging in exercise and participating in group activities. These each can provide people with a myriad of health benefits, including the following:

• Lead a more active lifestyle that is also pain-free
• Establish a network of support that creates a sense of well-being
• Stay physically active to minimize risks of sedentary lifestyles
• Maintain confidantes with whom stress can be relieved
• Reduce the risk for physical and mental disabilities

Studies reveal that persons with sound social networks also live fuller lives and enjoy greater life expectancy. According to researchers, this is because social interaction fulfills a humans basic need for companionship. Therefore, an individuals connection with others may determine his or her health in the future. Studies further show that persons who enjoy frequent social activities are twice as likely to outlive their solitary counterparts. It is believed that social isolation evokes a state of ongoing stress that speeds up the aging process. In part, persons without strong bonds must rely solely on themselves during times of need and trouble. Moreover, they lack a network of valuable resources that can help them prevent disease and remain strong and healthy in later years.

Social Interaction Combats Alzheimers

The tangible effects of social engagement are also visible. Studies reveal that individuals with a variety of friends remain mentally sharp and keep their memories strong. Many believe the stimulation of friendship, including conversation, anecdotes and humor, keep the mind continually active. Studies show that interacting with friends, family and peer groups can preserve brain health and that social isolation is linked to cognitive decline, especially in the elderly. To support such evidence, researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health have released findings that indicate memory loss can be combated with social interaction. American adults ages 50 and older were studied for six years. Participants engaged in various memory tests at two-year intervals, and data was collected for later analysis. Researchers determined that persons who participated in social activities also demonstrated the slowest rates of memory decline. Those with the highest levels of social participation showed less than half the rate of memory loss when compared to those with the least amount of social activity. According to Lisa F. Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, The working hypothesis is that social engagement is what makes you mentally engaged. You cant sit and withdraw if youre constantly talking and working on things and figuring out problems in your daily life. Its not just completing a crossword puzzle, its living your life. One of the most noteworthy indicators of the study is that persons do not need to be married or surrounded by extensive family members in order to benefit from social engagement. Researchers recommend that volunteering in civic organizations, being active in the community and enjoying diverse networks are also of great benefit.

Cancer Issues May Improve in Patients who are Socially Active

Memory retention is not the only medical benefit afforded by social interaction. A study conducted at Ohio State University indicates that cancer patients may also improve their conditions by engaging in social activities. The study looked at mice with cancer. When relocated from a small living environment with few other mice to a larger environment with more mice, those inflicted with cancer demonstrated a vast improvement. Tumor sizes were reduced by almost 77 percent, and some mice even became cancer-free within only three weeks. For researchers, these implications may also hold true with human cancer patients. It is now suggested that social interaction may lead to health improvements for them. Doctors are thus encouraged to become familiar with their patients living habits in order to challenge them with leading fuller and more productive lives. The idea of disease reduction through social interactions strongly corresponds with other medical evidence. Many studies indicate solitude lifestyles create stress and lead to illness. In the mice study, doctors believe the tumor shrinkage was largely owed to hormone production that did not occur when the mice remained solitary. Sources: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/socializing-appears-to-delay-memory-problems/ http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/Information/item/The+Ties+That+Bind%3A+How+Socializing+Imp?archiveChannel=Home%2FArticle&clicked=true http://www.techjackal.net/other/2010/07/11/cancer-patients-could-improve-condition-with-an-active-social-life/

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