My husband John and I enjoyed an outdoor summer concert the other night.  The Riverbend Brass group consisted of five men, ranging in age from their 40’s to the mid 70’s, all playing brass instruments.  I was awestruck by the gentleman who appeared to be in his 70’s.  Here he was on a very warm summer evening playing the tuba and having a grand ole time. I wondered how long he had been playing the tuba and if his music had kept him young at heart as he appeared. I sat there saying to myself how great it was that these men had come together to share their love of music with others.  I was envious because I do not have a hobby.

An article from ABC news suggests that: “Participating in leisure activities contributes to your physical and mental health and overall life satisfaction.  You’re healthier, happier and more cheerful.  You enjoy life more,” says Howard E.A. Tinsley, professor emeritus of psychology at Southern Illinois University, and author of Psychological Benefits of Leisure Participation, a summary of 15 years of his research that involved interviewing 4,000 people with hobbies.  I wasn’t one of those interviewed, but I bet the 70+ tuba player could have been one of his subjects.  You could see the glee in his eyes.

According to the encyclopedia, a hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. It can take you away from the day to day activities of your job, cooking, cleaning, homework with the kids, bill paying, and the list goes on.  A hobby gives you time for YOU, a chance to get away from it all and pursue an activity that brings you a sense of well-being and satisfaction with life.

The benefits of a hobby are:
• Exercise for your body – You can participate in this activity by yourself or in groups and we all know that physical exercise has positive health benefits such as weight control, greater cardiovascular health, the prevention of bone loss, and the improvement in one’s overall sense of well-being.  Join an outdoor club, walk, ski, swim, play tennis, bike ride.  Participating in group activities also gives you an opportunity to meet new people.
• Exercise for your mind – A study in the New England Journal of Medicine(Vol.348, June 19,2003, Number 25) says that staying mentally active may actually help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Challenge your brain and play cards and board games, do crossword puzzles, read, learn to play a musical instrument, and visit the library often.
• Social connections – Hobbies help you feel connected.  You can broaden your social horizons and interact with others who share your same interests.  Strengthen your bonds and form your own community.
• Alone time – In this hurried society where life is placing demands on you and your time how nice it is to “escape” into your hobby world.  Pleasure abounds.
• Family time – Hobbies shared by all members of the family can strengthen the family unit and create more intimacy.  It is a time to be together and share common interests.
• Sense of accomplishment – Hobbies can give you a sense of pride, fulfillment, and achievement.  Feel the joy of making a blanket for your newborn or a grandchild, creating a piece of jewelry from a collection of stones, serving a gourmet meal to several of your friends, or eating the fresh vegetables from your garden.

Hobbies can help restore balance to our hectic lives. They give one an opportunity to get off life’s treadmill and relieve stress.  I do believe that if one is passionate about an activity he/she will find the time to pursue it intelligently and place it front and center on the balance beam.