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12 October 2020 | Story Arina Engelbrecht | Photo Supplied
Arina Engelbrecht
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

News Archive

Prof. Van Coller elected as member of ASSAF
2010-11-08

Prof. Hennie van Coller

After he had been nominated by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Hennie van Coller, Head of the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, was elected as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF).

ASSAF consists of approximately 340 members and Prof. Van Coller is proud to be the only Afrikaans literator amongst the members. Apart from Prof. Dingie Janse van Rensburg, who retired earlier this year, Prof. Van Coller is also the only staff member of the UFS’s Faculty of the Humanities who is a member of ASSAF.

Prof. Van Coller is a former Chairperson of the South African Academy for Science and Art and states that his membership of ASSAF proves that a good relationship and collaboration exist amongst the academies for the benefit of science.

The academy’s core function requires that the country’s most outstanding academics be honoured as members. With that in mind, Prof. Van Coller’s research and contribution to Afrikaans literature were not in vain. “Recognition cannot be bought, and therefore recognition by one’s peers in particular is very precious,” said Prof. Van Coller.
– Lize du Plessis

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