Do You Play Enough?

When it comes to living a holistically healthy and balanced life, you may think of balancing your work life with your personal life, fitting more exercise into your daily routine, or eating a more balanced diet. But few of us - as adults - think in terms of whether we are getting enough "play" in our lives.

There are many studies and news articles about the importance of play for children's health and development, but what about adults?  Unfortunately, the concept of play is often seen as unproductive and immature when it comes to adults. In fact, many of us don't even remember what it's like to play! As this article points out, "in our busy, modern, and technology filled world we have been focusing too much on work, family, and structured routines and we have forgotten how to play."

In fact, play can be a very beneficial and important part of adult life, and can help us to lead healthier, happier, and more balanced lives!

Below are a few ways that play can benefit us as adults, as well as some tips for putting more play, novelty, and fun into your daily life.

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The benefits of play don't just disappear as we grow up. Play is beneficial for people of all ages, and it can positively impact your health (both physical and mental), your relationships, and even your work life. Along with the list of benefits shown in the graphic below, are a few more of the many intangible ways that playing may benefit you as an adult:

Improves Social Skills
Play in a group setting often involves games or other group activities which may involve things like teamwork, cooperation, communication, and other social skills that you may find useful in your everyday life.

Strengthens Connections with Other People
You may have heard the old adage, "couples that play together stay together." Having fun with others can  increase your empathy, understanding, and compassion, and may help you to develop deeper and more lasting relationships.

Improves Imagination & Creativity
Engaging in play activities - especially unstructured ones - helps to stimulate the creative side of your brain. Engaging your imagination on a regular basis not only helps you learn new skills and become more creative, but it also helps you become a better problem solver - a very important skill in today's world, and one which often seems to be in short supply!

Increases Innovation
Becoming a creative problem solver leads to improved productivity in the workplace, and helps you approach problems with thoughtful and innovative new solutions. In some work environments, this can really help to advance your career.

There are lots more ways that play can benefit you (see below), but how do you learn to play again, not to mention fit more play time into your busy life?

One trick is to start thinking of forms of play that will make exercise fun. This will kill two birds with one stone - you'll get both play and exercise (which most of us also need more of) at once!

Here are a few ideas to try, but of course, you will want to choose options that YOU find fun and interesting, so please add your own to this list as desired!

• Hiking or Walking. You can make this exciting by choosing new trails each week and mapping where you have gone, and where you would like to try next. For even more fun, go with a friend or group of friends. Don't focus so much on "power walking" (unless you love that), but just enjoy hiking and climbing trails in the beautiful outdoors. You'll get exercise without even realizing it!
  
• Rock Climbing. This is a great workout - especially for your upper body, and it can definitely feel like play! Look for a local rock center or climbing wall near you.
  
• Dancing. One of my absolute favorite ways to exercise! Many gyms and fitness centers offer dance exercise classes such as Zumba. However, if you prefer a less structured approach, you can also take a dance class where you can learn whatever form of dance you are interested in, or just go out to a dance club with friends. Either way, dancing is a great way to sweat and have fun!
  
• Playing with Your Kids. There is no end to the variety of fun activities you can share with your kids. Tag, capture the flag, badminton, softball or other active games are all a lot of fun if you have several people to play with. You can also jump on the trampoline, set up an obstacle course, go swimming, or any other number of fun and playful activities. Not only will you be de-stressing and getting some exercise, but you'll also be building a stronger bond with your family, as well as memories your children will treasure forever!
  
• Martial Arts. Look for martial arts classes in your area. There are loads of different classes, and you'll not only be having some fun, learning a new skill, and getting exercise - you will also improve your ability to defend yourself.
  
• Yoga. This is another one of my favorites! Yoga is a great way to tone and strengthen your body, and it also has amazing stress-relieving as well as mental health benefits. You can practice yoga in a structured class, or by yourself at home. There are tons of online videos and apps that you can access for guidance.
  
• Recreational Sports. Most areas have active adult sports leagues - at least during the summer months. Join a softball, bike, or frisbee team with friends, or sign up by yourself and meet some new people.
  

Check out the infographic below for some more of the many benefits of play, as well as more ways to get more of it in your everyday life:

Source: Fix.com Blog

As an adult, regular play can help to reduce stress, improve your physical and mental health, and even help you build stronger relationships with your loved ones!

Bottom Line: Paying on a regular basis can help us to lead healthier, happier, and more balanced lives - which is the end and ongoing goal of holistic living.

How will you play today?

To your health,
Rose.