Contrary to popular opinion, our ancestors had much more leisure time than most people have today. There was a lot of downtime, as finding food, water and shelter often took less than a few hours. And much of that free time was spent playing games. Primitive Blueprint Movement. This is what we see in our closest living counterpart to the modern-day HG, ancient hunter-gatherers living in Tanzania. They spend much of the day hanging out, laughing, and playing games.
In fact, one of the most consistent observations across a variety of mammals is that they are playing. Cats, rats and mice are playing. Monkeys and apes definitely play. Aquatic mammals such as dolphins and killer whales play. And humans play. This means that the common ancestor of mammals probably also played a large role, and that play provides some evolutionary advantage in fitness. Otherwise it would not have been preserved.
The official definition of play is:
It’s fun and inherently enjoyable.
It’s voluntary.
It has no apparent survival value.
Decreased sense of time. Time goes by quickly. Flow state.
It’s spontaneous.
The interesting thing about play is that it is metabolically costly. It expends energy that could otherwise be devoted to earning calories, securing shelter, or, in today’s world, making money. Play is neither free nor provides any direct material benefits, so why do we do it?
Animal studies have shown that play “prunes” the cerebellum as it matures. This removes non-physical or unproductive connections in the brain and establishes pathways that are effective, meaningful, and conducive to health. In one study, rats that did not play as pups had less efficient cerebral pruning than rats that did get to play.
For children, play teaches them how to treat others. How to give and receive, how to lose well, and how to be generous in winning. If you can play games and have fun without burning bridges, you’ll have friends. This is elementary school networking.
As adults, play is how we maintain relationships. It breaks down boundaries between people and, perhaps more importantly, within ourselves.
Play also increases neuroplasticity. Entering situations that require spontaneous reactions and spontaneity and integrating physical movements requires the brain to adapt. You will need to coordinate different areas and chart new paths. Play is like free weight training for the mind.
Play can also be a great way to stay in shape. If you can turn your fitness practice into play, it’s no longer work. Now that you’re playing, you no longer need to force yourself to “train.” Something like obstacle course It’s a great way to get some exercise without even realizing it.
Play keeps you young. This creates a gene expression signal that says, “This person is young, vibrant, and vibrant.”
Lastly and most importantly, fun. Fun isn’t important. Fun is a good thing in itself. Fun makes us want to keep living.
Thanks for reading!
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and is not intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring in your pursuit of a healthy and fulfilling life.
