October 15, 2019 —Reading a good book is one of life’s most enduring pleasures. Unfortunately, all too many younger people have forsaken curling up with a good book for scanning the Internet for snippets of gossip and tweets. This is regrettable because not only is reading books an enriching activity, but it may also provide readers with health benefits. When researchers analyzed the reading habits and medical records of 5,635 participants (age 50 and older) in the Health and Retirement study, they found that those who read books regularly had a 20 percent higher chance of living longer than non-readers.
Researchers also found reading newspapers and magazines did not have the same beneficial effect. It is likely that reading books stimulates the mind in ways that improve cognitive function and increase life expectancy. At Barclay Friends, our caring staff understands the positive impact of staying active in body and mind and offers a book club that meets twice a month to discuss works such as The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by author Alexander McCall Smith.
With Faith Woodward, Director of Admissions and Marketing