Written By: Shaloo Tiwari | Updated : April 23, 2018 4:24 PM IST
It is world book day today and as it is rightly said by Stephen King, 'Books are a uniquely portable magic,' reading good books do have a lot of health benefits that are magical. If you thought book reading to merely be a great way to kill time or a fascination, you'll be glad to know that there are science-backed benefits of reading books. If you are someone who prefers books over people and cancels plans to read books, read the health benefits of book reading here:
Mental exercise: Reading is like a pleasant form of exercise for your brain and that way helps improve the cognitive functions of your brain.
Reduces stress: Stress has become the biggest killer these days. A stressful mind only brings in ill physical and mental health. Reading books can take you away from the things that are stressing you into a different world.
Improved memory power: Reading helps improve your memory by acting as a memory exercise for your brain. remembering characters and little details can help you improve your memory well.
Improved analytical skills: A book is a virtual world that you feel you are involved and it helps you improve your analytical skills as it proceeds.
Hones concentration skills: Reading books helps you concentrate better and induces patience in you. Reading a book requires a lot of focus and by time, it trains your mind to concentrate better.
Inner peace: Reading a book induces inner peace in you. It fills you with knowledge and gives you feeling of satisfaction and achievement. If you have a book with you, you have a friend with you.
Maintain blood pressure and burns calories: Reading is a brain activity that also helps burn some amount of calories(except if you don't binge on junk food while reading) and help maintain your blood pressure levels.
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References:
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with longevity. Soc Sci Med. 2016 Sep;164:44-48. doi:
10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.014. Epub 2016 Jul 18. PubMed PMID: 27471129; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC5105607.
Berns, G. S., Blaine, K., Prietula, M. J., & Pye, B. E. (2013). Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain. Brain Connectivity, 3(6), 590 600. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2013.0166
