You might think of watching sports as a way of entertainment and passing time, but do you that that it is actually good for you to do so, and health experts are in support of people watching sports?
Yep, it’s not only the athletes and players that benefit from these activities, the people watching also get something out of it. According to Happiful, an online mental health and wellness publication, “Research suggests that the feel-good effects of these events may last far longer than the final whistle. “It is further stated that sports viewing can change reward-related brain regions, improving enjoyment, mood, and overall wellness.”
If you are not a sports person, you might want to reconsider your decisions just because of the following benefits for your wellness:
Social connection: The Stylist publication states that feeling part of a group is a fundamental human need, promoting health, and resilience, and fostering a shared identity, and that watching sports can cultivate a sense of community, fostering a shared mission and purpose. “It cultivates a sense of belonging like we’re included in something greater than our own lives. This is especially the case where we align our identity with a particular team, but it can apply more generally when we feel passionate about a particular sport.”
Reduces stress: Happiful mentions that watching sports can provide stress relief by immersing yourself in the moment, releasing pent-up emotions, and boosting mood, especially for those struggling with work-related responsibilities.
Good for the brain: According to We Love Cycling, researchers used neuroimaging techniques to analyse brain activity after watching sports and results showed that sports viewing activated reward circuits, indicating feelings of happiness or pleasure. “Both subjective and objective measures of well-being were found to be positively influenced by engaging in sports viewing. By inducing structural changes in the brain’s reward system over time, it fosters long-term benefits for individuals.”
