The Benefits of Watching Football

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Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has vowed to do all of their fans proud at Ibrox next week despite being limited to less than1,000 supporters.

While you may simply watch football out of enjoyment, studies have shown that doing so could, in fact, become an extremely healthy aspect of your life.

Many people sit down and enjoy a game from the comfort of their own home or make a trip to their local stadium simply to support their local team, but according to researchers, there are many additional benefits that come alongside watching football that you may never have thought about previously.

If you’re interested to find out how football may be good for your health and well-being, take a look at just some of the most interesting benefits below:

Boosts mood

As a football game undergoes many twists and turns with a non-scripted ending, you’ll stimulate neuronal changes in the brain which have been shown to cut down stress levels and enhance happiness. When your team is winning, your brain releases the chemical dopamine, which is connected to the control of pleasure and reward.

Bonding time

When you attend match days, you’ll be spending time with like-minded people. Attending games is a great way of meeting people from all walks of life; whom you may never have otherwise encountered.

Football unites people, as it instigates conversations with those sitting around you in the stands and chats with fans on forums and discussion pages. If, however, you prefer to watch a football livestream at home, it makes a great excuse to hold a gathering to spend time with friends.

Provides life lessons

You may not have a role model as such, but football can teach a vast amount of life lessons to help you overcome some of your own faults and work towards ambitions. Players are forced to remain calm under immense pressure, expected to co-operate with their team-mates and spend a vast number of hours each week perfecting their talent.

Emotional release

Any passionate football player will know that watching a game gives you a chance to release random bursts of energy that you simply wouldn’t be allowed to do elsewhere. During the most intense moments, you may start to sweat and feel your heart pumping faster – but this is extremely normal, as it’s your body’s response to heightened anxiety levels.

Emotions can escalate quickly when it comes to either a loss or win, which means you may end up yelling at the top of your voice out of sheer excitement. Having this small window of time to get rid of your emotions will leave you with lower stress levels and a fresher mindset.

You forget about everything else going on

One of the key benefits of watching a football match is that it’s easy to forget all of the other struggles going on in your life, as you focus your entire attention on the game. Whether you suffer from depression or severe stress and anxiety, allowing yourself to have those 90 minutes away from reality will kick your body into reset mode and prevent ruminating thoughts from taking over the present moment.

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