When you see the words “games” and “health benefits” together, the first thing that would usually come to your mind is physical games and sports like football or tennis. After all, these activities do keep you in shape by engaging your muscles and exercising your heart.
On the other hand, you may think that board games offer nothing more than entertainment. We’re here to tell you that that is only one of the many benefits of playing board games.
In this article, we will share with you six surprising benefits of playing board games:
Have fun and relieve stress
Board games are all about having a good laugh with whoever you’re playing with. As that good adage says, laughter is indeed the best medicine. Beyond making you feel happy, here’s what laughter does to your body as you play board games:
– It triggers the release of endorphins, which is known to elevate feelings of happiness and relieves pain temporarily.
– It decreases your stress hormones and boosts your immune system.
– It relaxes your muscles and relieves physical tension and stress.
– It lowers your blood pressure (well unless it’s monopoly)
Quality family time
Nobody plays board games alone. As most of us are quarantined in our homes while worrying about our health and financial stability, playing board games with the family gives that needed family time in these uncertain times.
Board games which need teamwork, like Forbidden Sky and The Mind Extreme, allow you and your loved ones to bond and have fun as you work together to finish the quests!
Brain stimulation and development
Work and other responsibilities may take most of your time today, but including play in your routine can boost your energy, vitality, and even your immune system. Having a good time playing with your family and friends makes you feel young and helps you function at your best.
After a long day of working, running errands, paying the bills, and working on your other responsibilities, board games are a great way to unplug and detach yourself from screens. No phones and no tablets; just you and your family or group sitting in a circle (or standing up, or throwing yourself around with Throw Throw Burrito) around your favourite board game.
Chill out
While physical games improve your physical fitness, board games give your brain a nice workout at the same time! Playing board games stimulates your brain and keeps it engaged, and this is true for both kids and adults! The best tile-laying board games, like Qwirkle, King Domino, and DiTiC exercise your problem-solving and spatial reasoning skills. Additionally, exciting strategy board games like Zoocracy and Counter Attack help hone your decision-making and critical thinking skills.
For kids and teens, on the other hand, it is also good for their mental development. When playing board games, participants should play and commit to the game to finish it. However, children normally have a short attention span. Because of this, asking them to play board games with you trains them in a fun and entertaining way to concentrate for a longer period without interruptions.
If you’re looking for something new and exciting to play with your family or friends, you’ll be sure to find one here. Whether that’s a family, strategy, fantasy or dice game, we’ve got it!