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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
‘Gaza doctor’ Izzeldin Abuelaish visits UFS
2011-10-12
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Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
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Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, Harvard graduate and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is a Palestinian doctor who became the centre of a media firestorm in January 2009 when three of his daughters were killed and members of his family injured in an attack on Gaza (see e.g. The New York Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/world/middleeast/18doctor.html ). He is the author of the bestselling I shall not hate: a Gaza doctor’s journey on the road to peace and human dignity. Dr Abuelaish will present two public lectures on 17 and 18 October 2011. Dr Abuelaish was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010.
The 18 October lecture in the Faculty of Health Sciences is registered for 2 ethics ceu's on Level 2, reference number: MDB004/002/10/2011.
Date: 17 October
Time: 19h00-20h00
Venue: Education Faculty Auditorium (new building behind Sasol Library)
Title: "I shall not hate": A Gaza Doctor's Transformational Journey of Loss, Love and Change
Time: 12h45 vir 13h00-14h00
Venue: Health Sciences Faculty Metro 3 (across Francois Retief Building)
Title: A healing bridge: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity
For information: call the International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice (401 9808) or Prof Jackie du Toit:
dutoitjs@ufs.ac.za