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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

Kovsies foster closer ties with Asian universities
2012-03-19

 

The UFS’s exhibition at the second International Seminar and QS MasterClass on Internationalisation of Higher Education (iQS) in Thailand.
19 March 2012


We increased our stature in Asia by presenting the International Seminar and QS MasterClass on Internationalisation of Higher Education (iQS) in Thailand in cooperation with four universities from the region.

The UFS presented the seminar together with Mahasarakham University of Thailand, Guangxi University for Nationalities in China, Universiti Teknologi Malayisiaand the University of the Philippines Diliman. The UFS’s involvement in the seminar is the result of a cooperation agreement that was signed with Mahasarakham University, the host of the seminar. The UFS is the first university in Africa that has a cooperation agreement with Mahasarakham.
 
Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic, and Prof. Annette Wilkinson, Professor-Researcher at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, represented the UFS. They ensured that delegates to the seminar were aware of what was happening at Kovsies. Prof. Hay took part in a panel discussion. She also delivered a paper in which she looked at the implications of internationalisation on curricula. The UFS also had an exhibition at the event.
 
Prof. Wilkinson said the seminar offers universities in that part of the world the opportunity to improve their position internationally by exchanging knowledge and ideas. She said the approximately 130 delegates showed considerable interest in the UFS.
“A number of Mahasarakham University’s lecturers and management, as well as some of the other delegates, expressed an interest in visiting the UFS and in fostering closer ties.”

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