Friendships for Health

It’s true what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

With Lisa on the East coast of the country over the next few weeks and McKenzie holding down the fort on the West coast – we have to admit it: we miss each other. And we’ve only been apart for about a week. It’s hard to believe after spending as much time together as we do, not to mention the additional amount of time we talk on the phone, text, Tweet, Facebook, and blog together as much as we do – we still aren’t sick of one another. As a matter of fact, we really like each other. From a health perspective, this has its benefits! Studies have actually shown that developing lasting friendships and having a happy workplace are good for your psychological well being, your ability to manage stress AND your life span. We came across this article last week which praises best friends on their ability to decrease levels of the stress hormone, cortisol during unpleasant times.

You can read the whole article here.

This made us dig a little deeper. A 2009 article outlining some of the extensive research on the benefits of friendships showed having friends was linked to improved brain health, increased longevity and fewer incidences of the common cold. One of the most interesting points in the article? Thirty-four students from the University of Virginia were fitted with weighted backpacks and taken to the base of a steep hill. The participants that stood with friends at the bottom reported the hill being less steep than those that were asked to stand at the base alone. Well, Mount Everest – bring.it.on.

In case you were wondering, you can read the entire article here.

Until we're reunited again, we'll keep the stories and blogs coming as we tackle both ends of the country!