How reading is good for your health

There’s no better way to learn more about the world, go on an adventure or unwind than to spend some time reading… Here are our favourite reasons to turn the page.

Why reading is good for you:

If you’re not much of a reader, you might still be thinking of your junior school teacher telling you that you have to read a chapter every day to get smarter. But there’s actually a lot of research about how reading is good for your health…

• It helps you de-stress. In a study* reading was found to be the best way to beat stress, even better than listening to music, drinking a cup of tea or taking a walk. *At Mindlab International at the University of Sussex
• It keeps your brain sharp. If you choose mentally stimulating activities earlier and later in life, you’re more likely to have less trouble with memory decline as you age. *According to research published in the journal Neurology.
• It makes you smarter. Your junior school teacher was right! As well as increasing your vocabulary, memory and writing skills, reading boosts your brain function, the same way exercise boosts your muscle function. *Research was carried out at Emory University in the USA.

Where to find a good read: For most of us, buying new books is too expensive to do every month, but there are a number of other ways to get your hands on a good read:

1. Join your local library: Every town has one (and in fact, most suburbs have one!). Joining your library is free and easy, and you are allowed to take out anything from 2 to 5 books at a time, many of them new releases. What are you waiting for? Go and get your card today!
2. Start a book club: If you and a few friends want to start reading more, make a plan to meet up every month and share books. You can either swap books that you already own, or put some money into a pool that lets you buy a few new books each month. Most bookstores offer a 10 to 20% discount if you register as a book club.
3. Find a used book store: The joy of books is that they can be read over and over again – instead of forking out money to buy new books, why not pop round to a used book store and stock up for a fraction of the price?
4. Get your fix of magazines and newspapers: Books aren’t the only way to get reading – it’s just as relaxing to sit down with a newspaper or magazine (as long as you aren’t only reading bad news stories and gossip!) There are no rules here: whatever gets you turning pages is what you should do.