{"id":20295,"date":"2017-08-03T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T09:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monatglobal.com\/uk\/?p=20295"},"modified":"2023-05-25T18:07:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T17:07:46","slug":"friendshipimproveshealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monatglobal.com\/uk\/friendshipimproveshealth\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Friendship Improves Health!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Did You Know Friendship Improves Health?<\/strong><\/div>\n
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So often you hear people say about their friends, \u201cShe\u2019s like a sister to me\u201d<\/em> or \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do without him.\u201d<\/em> There are more than good reasons people say this about their friends\u2026there\u2019s science to back it up. Having a strong social network of good friends really does help improve your health and keep you living longer. That\u2019s all the more reason to celebrate your friends on National Friendship Day<\/strong>, which is right around the corner on August 6. The bonds you have with your friends are good for you!<\/div>\n
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Friends Improve Our Overall Health<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Research shows that people as young as teenagers to elders in their 90s have healthier lives and lower blood pressure than those with less friends.1<\/sup> Solid friendships can help us overcome stress and get through all the obstacles that life hits us with \u2013 job loss, break-ups, divorce, health scares, you name it. A friend\u2019s support really makes the difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Friends Help Us Keep Our Wits About Us<\/strong><\/div>\n
Studies show that people with extended social ties are far less likely to develop dementia in older years as opposed to people with fewer friends.2, 3<\/sup> Why? Because lively conversations with good friends draw upon different parts of our brain to keep our minds sharp and focused.<\/div>\n
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Friends Keep Us Physically Healthy<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Like osmosis, friends can soak up other friends\u2019 habits, like exercising and eating well, according to study published in Science<\/em> (December 2011).4<\/sup> If your friend wants to stop for a smoothie instead of a fast food joint, you\u2019ll likely go along with her. And how many times do you see friends taking power walks together? It\u2019s true. Friendship improves health!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Friends Can Help Us Live Longer<\/strong><\/div>\n
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People who have strong social relationships are less likely to die prematurely than people who are isolated.5<\/sup> A 2010 meta-analysis6<\/sup> showed that the effect of social ties on life span is twice as strong as that of exercising, and equivalent to that of quitting smoking. These studies also found that the strength of people’s social relationships, from number of friends to integration into the community, were all linked to decreased mortality. So make friends and work to keep them!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Friends Keep Us Calm and Improve Our Mood<\/strong><\/div>\n
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If you need a rock to lean on, lean on your friends. A 2011 study7<\/sup> showed that spending time with your friends can alleviate your stress. And, your social relationships also have a good influence on your overall mood. Making new friends lifts your spirits due to the he release of the \u201cfeel good\u201d hormone oxytocin in your body. And of course, who can make you feel better than a good BFF\u2014it\u2019s like putting a warm blanket around your soul. <\/p>\n

So the next time you feel like being alone, remember that friendship improves health and pick up the phone and go out for coffee with a friend instead!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As Aristotle once said, <\/strong><\/em>
\na friend is \u201ca single soul dwelling in two bodies.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\n1<\/sup> Lockhart, E. 6 Ways Friendship Improves Our Health, April 27th, 2016, activebeat, http:\/\/www.activebeat.co\/your-health\/6-ways-friendship-improves-our-health\/6\/<\/a>
\n2<\/sup> Lockhart, E. 6 Ways Friendship Improves Our Health, April 27th, 2016, activebeat, http:\/\/www.activebeat.co\/your-health\/6-ways-friendship-improves-our-health\/6\/<\/a>
\n3<\/sup> Pappas, S. 7 Ways Friendships Are Great for Your Health. Jan. 8, 2016. LIVE SCIENCE.
\nhttps:\/\/www.livescience.com\/53315-how-friendships-are-good-for-your-health.html
\n4<\/sup> Brownstein, J. Healthy Habits Are Most Contagious Among Similar Friends. Dec. 1, 2011. Live Science. https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/17265-healthy-habits-contagious-similar-friends.html<\/a>
\n5<\/sup> Holmes, L. 5 Ways Your Friends Make You Happier, Healthier And An All-Around Better Person. Healthy Living. 07\/09\/2014 HuffPost http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2014\/07\/09\/benefits-of-friends_n_5568005.html<\/a>
\n6<\/sup> Pappas, S. 7 Ways Friendships Are Great for Your Health. Jan. 8, 2016. LIVE SCIENCE.
\nhttps:\/\/www.livescience.com\/53315-how-friendships-are-good-for-your-health.html<\/a>
\n7<\/sup> Holmes, L. 5 Ways Your Friends Make You Happier, Healthier And An All-Around Better Person. Healthy Living. 07\/09\/2014 HuffPost http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2014\/07\/09\/benefits-of-friends_n_5568005.html<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did You Know Friendship Improves Health? So often you hear people say about their friends, \u201cShe\u2019s like a sister to me\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do without him.\u201d There are more than good reasons people say this about their friends\u2026there\u2019s science to back it up. Having a strong social network of good friends…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":23296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[368],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t