--- description: Playing can improve your health, happiness, and productivity title: 5 Health Benefits of Play image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcdf679a83eed25a1/69878546524fc0214cded198/470648337-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 5 Health Benefits of Play by [Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 22, 2015 8:31 PM CUT  Female friends riding bicycles on country road Female friends riding bicycles on country roadGetty Images by [Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 22, 2015 8:31 PM CUT If you think the benefits of playtime ended shortly after you learned how to tie your shoes, it may be time to channel your inner kindergartner. Playing can improve your health, happiness, and productivity. Here’s why: **Laughter can bust stress.** A good chuckle can lower stress levels, science suggests. In one [study](http://www.the-aps.org/mm/hp/Audiences/Public-Press/Archive/08/10.html "undefined"), some participants watched funny videos, while others sat quietly. Those who watched the videos had better recall (hello, improved memory!) and showed lower levels of cortisol, the hormone connected with stress. Stress can damage your body by causing all kinds of [problems](http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987 "undefined") including headaches, anxiety, and sleep problems. In other words, the physical and mental benefits of laughter are no joke. **Play can help your brain grow.** Even well into adulthood, easy memory games may help stimulate brain growth. Learning new names for colors was linked to increased gray matter in the brain, according to one recent [study](http://www.pnas.org/content/108/16/6686 "undefined"). Researchers gave participants colored cards with nonsensical names and asked the participants to memorize the new monikers over a span of three days. After the experiment, participants’ brains, scanned via MRI, showed the growth of new gray brain matter, an important part of our brain that [helps us](http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11355 "undefined") make decisions and process thoughts. **Play makes you more productive.** Office meetings filled with humor actually result in better communication between coworkers, according to [new research](http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/a0038083 "undefined") from VU University Amsterdam and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The study found that when someone told a joke, it sparked others to chime in, breaking down barriers to communication. Taking small breaks from hard work can result in greater productivity, not to mention stronger [problem-solving skills](http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0830/e-gang-mit-sandy-pentland-darpa-sociometers-mining-reality.html "undefined"), according to other [research](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/jobs/take-breaks-regularly-to-stay-on-schedule-workstation.html "undefined"). **Play is good for your heart.** Physical play is a great way to trick yourself into becoming more active—a habit your [heart](http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/phys/benefits "undefined") will thank you for. Walking the dog burns [230](http://www.self.com/calculator?weight=150&mesh=pounds&duration=60&met=3.3&mode=calorieburned&calculators=walking¤tactivity=Walking&submit=submit "undefined") calories per hour, dancing burns [320](http://www.self.com/calculator?weight=150&mesh=pounds&duration=60&met=4.5&mode=calorieburned&calculators=dancing¤tactivity=Dancing&submit=submit "undefined"), and a leisurely bike ride zaps over [420](http://www.self.com/calculator?weight=150&mesh=pounds&duration=60&met=6.0&mode=calorieburned&calculators=bicycling¤tactivity=Bicycling&submit=submit "undefined"). Even a quick game of soccer with your kids in the backyard can burn [500](http://www.self.com/calculator?weight=150&mesh=pounds&duration=60&met=7.0&mode=calorieburned&calculators=soccer¤tactivity=Soccer&submit=submit "undefined") an hour. Bonus points for taking your play outside, which offers many added benefits, _The New York Times_ [reports](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/the-benefits-of-exercising-outdoors/ "undefined"). **Play is good for your relationship.** Playing around can literally help your ticker, but it’s also good for your heart in a less literal sense. Couples who play together stay together, research suggests. One [study](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11031-006-9045-6 "undefined") looked at couples who regularly reminisced over funny experiences in their past. Thinking back on those times led to greater relationship satisfaction, the results suggest. _This_ [_article_](http://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/health-benefits-play "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_RealSimple.com_](http://www.realsimple.com/ "undefined")_._ _More from Real Simple:_ * [The Science of Happiness](http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/the-science-of-happiness?xid=time-rs "undefined") * [What Is the One Small Thing That Always Makes You Happy?](http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/what-is-the-one-small-thing-that-always-makes-you?xid=time-rs "undefined") * [9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes](http://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/emotional-health/things-can-happy-next-minutes?xid=time-rs "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3758718/5-health-benefits-play/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3758718/5-health-benefits-play/"},"headline":"5 Health Benefits of Play","datePublished":"2015-04-22T20:31:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:56:53.075Z","description":"Playing can improve your health, happiness, and productivity","url":"https://time.com/3758718/5-health-benefits-play/","keywords":["Living","relationships","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcdf679a83eed25a1/69878546524fc0214cded198/470648337-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Real Simple","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/real-simple/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcdf679a83eed25a1/69878546524fc0214cded198/470648337-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"friends-riding-bicycles","caption":"friends-riding-bicycles","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3758718/5-health-benefits-play/","name":"5 Health Benefits of Play"}}]}] ```