We know play helps children develop intellectually and emotionally. But what does it do for adults? Understanding the benefits might change your life.
At the end of a stressful workday, 40-year-old Philadelphia resident Jennifer Rice cranks up the tunes, pushes back the couch and rocks out with her hula hoop in the living room. She has lost 20 pounds since she started doing it, something she views as a bonus, but not her primary motivation. her primary motivation is play.
It all started when a friend sent Rice a hula hoop dance video. “The moment I saw it,” Rice explains, “I said, I have to do that.”
“It’s just fun to be goofy,” she says. “I think as we get older we lose that sense of fun—we’re so swept up in perceived obligations.”
Rice has even started a small business making custom hoops for adults, and she says that too, is a form of play for her.
“I’m making these sparkly, beautiful things that bring joy to other people,” says Rice. “I love knowing the package will be waiting for them on their doorstep.”
Rice has learned firsthand something studies show: that play is just as critical for adults, as for children. Playing—that is, doing something purely for pleasure—can reduce stress, enhance relationships and improve health.
Yes, play has health and emotional benefits for grown-ups.
Researchers say endorphins, the hormones released when you are enjoying yourself, counteract the health problems caused by chronic stress, such as headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, a loss of memory function, and a weakened immune system.
“Play is vital to psychological and physical health,” said Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, a Philadelphia-area psychologist and author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. “People who play have stronger relationships, greater productivity at work and more prosperous lives.”
Play also seems to protect against mood disorders, according to Dr. Kate Muller, a clinical psychologist and the director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
“Play is an insulator against depression,” said Muller. “It makes people more creative and changes thinking. When I suggest patients find time to play, they may feel like it is indulgent or frivolous, but I show them the data. Play leads to a higher quality of life and to feeling better, in general.”