Healing Power of We
What helps us stay he althy? Sport and a balanced diet? Secure. But according to psychologists, another long-neglected factor is even more crucial: belonging to social groups.
Anyone who spends time in the noisy streets of Nanchang hardly has any intention of doing something good for their he alth. In the midst of traffic jams, hustle and bustle and smog, in the morning and evening hours in the Chinese metropolis, you can often find groups of women of all ages dancing together: in parking lots, on the side of the road or in public squares. There are countless such dance groups in the city, but the women always dance in the same one, which creates a strong sense of community."These are my sisters, my family," explains one of them. Research is now confirming what women obviously always knew: shared activity like dancing is good for your he alth – no matter where you do it! For example, women who danced in public places in the evenings at least five days a week for three months under the guidance of a trainer had a significantly lower risk of developing depression than those in a control group. And this difference was not due to age, financial situation, education level, relationship status or possible unemployment.
Scientists also found similarly positive effects at mass events, which one would not classify as he alth-promoting at all. The "Magh Mela", for example, is a Hindu pilgrimage meeting in northern India ….
