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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
UFS joined EduRoam project
2011-03-13
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Photo: Gerda-Marié Viviers
The ICT Services of the UFS presented the recent conference of the Association of South African University Directors of Information Technology (ASAUDIT) on home turf. Here from the left are: Prof. Janse Tolmie, senior director of the UFS’s ICT Services, Mr Sakkie Janse van Rensburg, executive director of the University of Cape Town’s ICT services, Mr Louis Marais, deputy director of the UFS’s ICT services and Mr Christiaan Kühn of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
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Travelling academics should soon gain access to free internet more easily. This is after three South African universities, of which the University of the Free State (UFS) is one, joined the EduRoam project. Several academics were briefed on this concept at the last conference of ASAUDIT (Association of South African University Directors of Information Technology) which was held in the CR Swart Auditorium on the Main Campus of the UFS. EduRoam, which is available worldwide at participating universities and airports, enables users to gain access to the internet via their home universities. Prof. Janse Tolmie, senior director of the UFS’s ICT services explains that, should a colleague sign in at an “EduRoam university” the staff member’s information would be verified at the UFS’s IT systems in order to determine the legitimacy of the EduRoam user. After this internet access would be granted. The UFS, University of Cape Town and Rhodes University are the first three universities that have taken on the EduRoam project. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) also plays a central role in the project in South Africa. More information regarding the UFS’s utilisation of EduRoam will soon be announced.