People who read live longer
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Yup, you read the title right! People who read really do live longer than those who don’t. That’s according to a 2016 study conducted by the Yale University School of Public Health.
The study showed that those who read 30 minutes per day were shown to live 23 months longer than those who don’t read. You can read more about this here.
The decade-long study involved 3,635 individuals aged 50 or older, chosen based on their reading habits. In the 12-year follow-up period, researchers found that people who read more than 3.5 hours a week were more than 23% more likely to survive. This is consistent with what we know about the benefits of reading:
“This effect is likely because books engage the reader’s mind more – providing more cognitive benefit, and therefore increasing the lifespan.”- Avni Bavishi, Researcher.
With this in mind I’m wondering what’s stopping you from reading, and how can we encourage our children to read?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed reading. My favourite author when growing up was Enid Blyton. I read all of The Famous Five books and loved every single one of them. However, my absolute favourite childhood book was called ‘The Naughtiest Girl in School‘ and yes, you guessed it, it was written by Enid Blyton!
It was published in 1940 and the title character, Elizabeth Allen, is a spoiled girl who is sent to a boarding school called Whyteleafe School. It certainly makes for an enjoyable read.
As I moved into my teenage years I found myself enjoying the Alex Cross series of books by James Patterson. This detective series was unlike any other book I’d read before. They shocked me and drew me into a whole new genre.
Now that I’m a little older, my tastes have changed somewhat. Nowadays I sway more towards romantic comedies, but I’m still pretty open minded in what I read.
I’m currently reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s about a young New Yorker called Theo Decker who’s grieving his mother’s death when he gets pulled into the gritty underworld of art and wealth.
This Pulitzer Prize winning book follows Theo from the age of 13 into adulthood. Somehow he miraculously survives the accident that kills his mother and he ends up being taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by all the sudden change in his life, he clings to the one thing that he has left which reminds him of his mother: a small, mysteriously captivating painting.
We follow Theo into adulthood where he’s drawn into a wealthy and insular art community where he gets drawn into an even more dangerous circle. Okay, so it’s no romantic comedy, but it’s certainly an interesting read.
So why is reading important?
Not only can it help to reduce stress, reading can also help to improve your quality of sleep and slow down the onset of dementia. As well as more practical benefits such as reading being a vital skill in helping us to get jobs, reading also provides us with an escape into a fantasy world where we can be anything we want to be.
Reading is important is because it helps to develop the mind, expand our imaginations and helps us to discover and learn new things. For children in particular, reading helps to build vocabulary and discovery.
Do you read? What do you do to encourage your children to read?
