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12 October 2020
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Story Arina Engelbrecht
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Photo Supplied
Arina Engelbrecht from Organisational Development and Employee Well-being believes physical activity has a number of benefits for one’s health, including stress relief.
Being physically active plays a big role in preventing the development of mental-health problems and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing mental-health problems.
Treatment for depression
Physical activity can be an alternative treatment for depression. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with medication and/or psychological therapy. It promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns are formed that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It releases endorphins – powerful chemicals in the brain that energise your spirit and make you feel good.
Physical activity can be very effective in relieving stress. Research in adults has found that physically active individuals tend to have lower stress levels compared to individuals who are less active. It also leads to improved sleep. When a person sleeps better and feels more rested, overall quality of life improves. They cope better with daily life stressors.
Reduce Alzheimer's risk
Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by up to 50%. It can also slow down further deterioration in those who have already started to develop cognitive problems. It stimulates the brain’s ability to maintain old connections as well as to make new ones.
A study asked people to rate their mood immediately after periods of physical activity (e.g. going for a walk/run, cycling, doing housework) and periods of inactivity (e.g. reading a book or watching television). Researchers found that participants felt more content, more awake, and calmer after being physically active compared to after periods of inactivity.
In conclusion, people who are physically active feel a sense of well-being, feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives.
“Being physically active not only changes your body, it changes your mind,
attitude, and your mood.” – Arina Engelbrecht
Lecturer advises Sudanese government
2009-02-12
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Mr Andries Jordaan and a Sudanese farmer during his recent visit to that country.
Photo: Supplied |
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Mr Andries Jordaan, Director of the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTeC) at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently visited Sudan to conduct an environmental impact study next to the Blue Nile and Dinder rivers, west of Ethiopia. The Sudanese government is in an advanced stage of implementing a new irrigation scheme of 1 million hectare in this area.
As part of this study he conducted research on the current indigenous drought strategies of farmers in order to make recommendations on how they can effectively overcome the dry months (stretching from September to April).
He was part of the team who last year planned and monitored the resettlement of 70 000 people during the building of the Merowe Dam in the Nile River in northern Sudan. Mr Jordaan is contracted as agricultural specialist by Lahmeyer International, a German engineering company.
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