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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

New SANRAL Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
2014-09-19

 

MEC: Butana Khomphela
Photo: Jerry Mokoroane

The University of the Free State (UFS) in partnership with the South African National Roads Agency launched the SANRAL Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education on the Bloemfontein Campus on 11 September 2014. Prof Loyiso Jita has been appointed as the first SANRAL Chair. He is a professor in the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology at the UFS, where he shares his expertise in science teaching, which has been influenced by his broad and deep intellectual and experiential engagements both internationally and domestically.

Speaking at the event were Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS; Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations; Prof Jita, the inaugural SANRAL Chair; the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr Butana Komphela and Mr Nazir Alli, CEO of SANRAL.

At the event, Prof Jansen celebrated that “SANRAL has rewarded the faith in our children to do well in science and mathematics with this Chair.”

This SANRAL Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education will help to improve the quality of teaching in these vital subjects at schools in the province. It complements the university’s School Partnership Project (SPP) – a flagship initiative launched by Prof Jansen.

The SANRAL endowment will enable the university to hone in on the ‘gateway subjects’ of mathematics and natural science. At school level, it will help to train teachers, support student-teacher interns, and incentivise education results so that participating schools become centres of excellence. At an academic level, the SANRAL Chair will supervise a cohort of doctoral and masters students, while also guiding research and publications in mathematics, science and technology education.

Through the endowment, SANRAL will assist the UFS in producing education leaders who can turn around maths and science education in disadvantaged schools throughout Southern Africa.

For the full text, read: New SANRAL Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education

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