A New Study Suggests Watching Sports Can Actually Help You Live A Longer And Happier Life
Are you an avid sports fan? Whether you like to cheer on college teams or observe bigger spectacles like the Olympic Games, you’ll probably be pleased to know that people who watch sports tend to live longer and happier lives than people who don’t.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University combed through data from 7,209 adults living in England who were between the ages of 16 and 85 and had participated in the Taking Part survey commissioned by the U.K. government.
They found that people in the U.K. who attended a live sporting event in the last year felt more satisfied with their lives and had lower levels of loneliness than people who had not.
The findings align with past studies that have shown how people who watch live sports at least once a year possess fewer depressive symptoms than those who do not.
“Previous research has focused on specific sports or small population samples, such as college students in the United States. Ours is the first study to look at the benefits of attending any sporting event across an adult population, and therefore, our findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies, such as offering reduced ticket prices for certain groups,” said Dr. Helen Keyes, the lead author of the study.
If live events aren’t an option for you, watching sports on TV and online can also be beneficial for your wellbeing. People who watch sports on TV or online were also less depressed than those who did not.
It is likely that the social aspects of watching sports contribute to the positive effects on wellbeing. The activity provides several opportunities for social interaction.
Watching sports creates a sense of connection to athletes and viewers across the globe. It helps build communities that share something in common, uniting people from all walks of life and making them feel like they belong.
Through these communities, we seek social and emotional support. People who identify strongly with a sports team are more likely to feel emotionally supported by other fans, which increases satisfaction with life.
LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
These findings are correlational, which means that other factors such as wealth or number of friends could influence the boost in well-being.
However, according to brain imaging research and the social identity theory, it seems likely that watching sports is the primary factor contributing to greater well-being.
Overall, people who watch sports, whether it’s from home or at the game, experience greater well-being than those who don’t.
Higher well-being is associated with better physical health and a longer life that comes with a sense of fulfillment. Who wouldn’t want that?
As long as you’re sharing the experience of watching sports with others, you can rest assured that the hobby is good for you.
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