You’ve heard it before, you’ve suspected it for years and now you have proof — one of the best things you can do for your health is play.

Dr. Stuart Brown walked away from a clinical medicine career to delve deep into why play helps and what he found was fascinating. At the time, his colleagues thought he was daft, but he began to discover something that surprised him.

There seems to be a connection between lack of play and increase in violence. Dr. Brown backed that idea up with a study on people who’ve committed murder.

But you don’t have to be that extreme to benefit from play. School systems should take note that Dr. Brown has uncovered evidence that play results in increased academics.

 He says play should be an integral part of the school and work day. For ideas about how you can incorporate play into your life, check out Dr. Brown’s organization, The National Institute for Play.

Ready fore more fun? Check out:
— “Rejuvenile” author Christopher Noxon
— Pickleball at The Villages
— Twirling to a New Beat