Three Surprising Benefits of Reading for Pleasure

Smash your reading goals this year and reap these research-backed rewards

Reading for pleasure is no longer the popular pastime it used to be in the days before technology and the internet. There are far too many other distractions competing for our limited leisure time these days — Netflix, gaming, and YouTube to name a few.

In England, 31% of adults don’t read in their free time according to a 2018 study. This rises to 46% when looking at young people aged between 16 and 24. Only about half of people in the United Kingdom finished a book in 2019.

While apps like Kindle offer an easy way to read on the go — and downloading it quadrupled the number of books I read — many people struggle to find the motivation to read.

Low literacy levels can have significant and detrimental impacts on society. The United Kingdom loses £81bn a year in earnings and welfare spending as a direct impact of low literacy levels.

Reading extensively and for pleasure has been shown to foster stronger literacy skills than formal literacy lessons.

But what if reading wasn’t just an outdated pastime? What if it could offer you tangible benefits and potentially even help you live a longer, healthier life?

Here are three research-backed reasons why you should read for pleasure — and how you’ll directly benefit from your new hobby.

1. Reading could reduce your stress levels

Stress affects an overwhelming portion of the population. In 2018, 74% of participants in a UK study reported feeling stressed and unable to cope. For many of the respondents, this resulted in excessive drinking, eating and smoking. Half of the respondents reported feelings of depression.

Of the people who said they had felt stress at some point in their lives, 16% had self-harmed and 32% said they had had suicidal thoughts and feelings.

And while mental health is a complex issue that requires bespoke solutions depending on the person affected, reading could be one way to prevent or lower stress levels.

A 2009 study found that 30 minutes of reading a day lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as practising yoga.

And a 2018 study conducted at Rawalpindi Medical University found that leisure reading has a positive impact on stress levels in medical students. Perceived stress was displayed by fewer students among those who read for pleasure than those who did not read. While 14% of students who read books reported high-stress levels, 24% of non-readers reported high-stress levels.

2. Reading could prevent cognitive decline

There are currently fifty million people living with dementia globally. This number is expected to increase by 200% by 2050 when 150 million people will be living with the degenerative condition.

Dementia can have devastating consequences for those affected and their families. And while dementia can’t always be prevented, there is research to suggest that partaking in certain activities can help prevent long-term cognitive decline.

A 2020 study found that reading activity prevents long-term cognitive decline in older people. The study, which spanned 14 years and involved more than 1,900 participants, concluded that older adults who read at least twice a week were less likely to experience cognitive decline than participants who didn’t. Participants came from all educational backgrounds and were all found to benefit from frequent reading. The study asserted that reading was protective of cognitive ability later in life.

3. Reading may increase your life-span

A long-term study found that people who spent at least 3.5 hours reading every week were 23% more likely to live longer than people who didn’t read.

This study specifically focused on the health benefits of reading books rather than other types of reading material.

The study involved more than 3,500 participants who were observed for 12 years and found that those who read books also survived around two years longer than those who didn’t read books or those who read other materials, including magazines.

In their concluding remarks, the researchers said:

“These findings suggest that the benefits of reading books include a longer life in which to read them.”