Healthy Benefits of Having Friends
Friends get you moving
A 2012 study found that nagging from friends is more effective than your mama’s scolding when it comes to sports. Study participants who admitted to having very little physical activity admitted that they needed and really appreciated the encouragement to start exercising from friends. Exercising with friends also helps you be more committed, isn’t it good to cancel appointments with friends in zumba classes or on the track?
Friends make you live long
This doesn’t mean that people who have lots of friends will live to be 100 years old, but some studies have found that strong social ties are associated with longer life expectancy. Even for cancer survivors, a study found that women with breast cancer who joined a support group had twice the life expectancy of those who didn’t join a support group.
Friends keep you calm
A shoulder to cry on, even though it’s cliché but there is a point. When you’re under stress, confiding in a friend can really help you get through a tough time. Researchers found that women secrete the hormone oxytocin when stressed, it produces a “heal and befriend” reaction rather than a “fight or flight” reaction that often occurs in men. That’s why women tend to confide in friends when stressed and confessing itself encourages the release of more oxytocin, which has a calming effect.
Friends lower the risk of disease heart
Maybe because being friends makes you feel calmer and more relaxed, they are good for your heart. A study conducted in 2005 concluded that those without strong social ties were at twice the risk of developing heart disease.
