Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
12 October 2020
|
Story Arina Engelbrecht
|
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
Vote for Kovsies’ achievers!
2011-03-29
Two Kovsie students are finalists in two very prestigious competitions and need your support to pull them through into the home stretch!
Marelize Visagie and Roeline Strauss are finalists in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) 50th Anniversary Video Competition and the Miss Varsity Cup competition, respectively.
UFS students and staff and the general public can help them win these competitions by voting for them on the respective competitions’ websites.
To vote for Marelize, please go to
http://www.oecd.org/videocontest and vote for her video entitled:
Progress is sharing the burdens. The video deals with progress through sharing of individual and group burdens and could win her a trip to Paris, where she will represent South Africa at the final ceremony of the competition.
The closing date for voting is 14 April at 12:00.
To vote for Roeline, log in to
www.varsitycup.co.za and click on the pink rose at the bottom of the page. Then click on the link which reads:
click here to vote. Then vote for Shimlas’ Roeline Strauss to make sure she stands a chance of being crowned as the national Miss Varsity Cup, who will be announced at the finals of the tournament on 11 April.