It is no secret that there are health benefits to a balanced diet or sleeping enough or exercising. However, very few people give the health benefits of education much though.

In fact, the majority of people don’t even know that there are health benefits to educations, be it direct or indirect benefits. There is a saying that you know what you know and you don’t know what you don’t know. What it comes down to is that you are unaware if something until you actually encounter it.

When it comes to health, you won’t know what is unhealthy if you are unaware of the facts. When you are educated, you become more aware of what is healthy and unhealthy and you will be able to make better decisions.

Below is a list of eight health benefits of education.

Income and resources

When you have the means to look after yourself, you will generally try and do whatever you can to stay healthy. When you obtain an education, you also obtain the means to ensure that you can afford healthcare.

You put yourself in a position to get a better job with a better income and in turn, you put yourself in a position to buy healthier food, and get the needed supplements your body needs.

Healthcare is expensive and because of this, people tend to cut back on the costs by not going for regular checkups. There might be dormant issues that you are unaware of and if you don’t have the financial means to go for checkups, you could land up with some serious issues.

Social and psychological benefits

They say that a healthy body houses a healthy mind, but the same can be said about a healthy mind. People with good educations are generally healthier in terms of their social and psychological health.

The most obvious reason for this is because of finances. Educated people, generally have better jobs, which means that they have more money and don’t have to worry about finances.

On a social level, having a bit more money also enables a person to enjoy relaxing activities more. Many people suffer from depression because they have to work their lives away. They don’t have time to relax and end up missing out on life.

People are intellectual beings and need cognitive stimulation, a lack thereof will render a person bored and if it continues for long periods, they also become depressed. 

Health behaviors 

Being educated doesn’t just mean that you know how to do a particular job well. It includes having a firm understanding of what healthy habits consist of and being aware of healthy foods etc. Educated people tend to be more aware of how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle and they also have the means to maintain said lifestyle.

However, it sometimes happens that you don’t have time to cook healthy food, or to exercise regularly because your job or studies demand so much time. In these cases, you need to free up some time and the best way to do this is to buy it.

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Work and studies should always be a priority but not at the cost of health. You brain function at it’s best when it’s provided with fresh oxygen, when you stay hydrated and do exercise regularly. This is why education is good for the brain and your overall body.

Healthier neighbors

People are social beings and surprisingly, education can fuel a healthy social life. When you have a decent job, you can afford to stay in high-income suburbs.

As a result, you will be surrounding yourself with people who have the same values as you. Key among these values is living a healthy life. However, when you find yourself in these environments, you also tend to take care of it more because it is aesthetically pleasing.

When you don’t have the money, you live in areas where poverty is king and people in poverty don’t see the value in caring for the environment. Their lifestyles are counterproductive in that they focus on staying alive by any means possible, and neglect anything that does not have a direct impact on their lives.

Healthy decision making

Once again, there seems to be a direct correlation between a person’s level of education and their health. The higher the education, the healthier the life choices seem to be. It comes down to being aware of how important it is to have healthy habits.

When you have a greater knowledge of the effects of your choices on your health, you also start to see the broader picture.

For instance, people who know more about the effects of smoking won’t be tempted to take up the habit because they know that the effects of smoking don’t necessarily manifest in the now. They are aware that things go wrong later in life and that it impacts both themselves and the people around them.

Longevity

It comes to no surprise that people who are educated tend to live longer. Apart from having more knowledge about health benefits and how to lead a healthy lifestyle, they also have the means to do so.

All benefits that a good education holds come together. The educated person has the ability and knowledge to make healthy decisions and maintain healthy habits. He or she can afford quality foods and also the neighborhood that is conducive to healthy living.

More than that, they have time to rest and take it easy. Rest is one of the most important aspects of healthy living and the higher your education, the more time you will have to rest because your job pays enough for you to rest.  

Less prone to common illnesses

Not having a lot of stress is key to staying healthy. That becomes increasingly difficult if you have to worry about how you are going to comer your rent. When you stress, your body’s immune system takes a beating and you become more prone to common illnesses.

A good education enables you to make wiser decisions and even if you don’t have a job that pays all that well, you have the ability to manage your time better because health becomes a priority. 

Health insurance

Finally, the best health benefit of an education is being able to afford quality health insurance. Many people have health issue because they cannot afford quality health care. Their lifestyles dent their health and then they have no means to get out of their hole.

Having proper health insurance enables you to bounce back faster because you have access to better medication. You also have access to more specialists, which means you don’t have to rely on a GP alone.

To conclude

The health benefits of education are more important than people realize. Maintaining a good exercise routine might not boost your immune system but it enables you to make sound decisions because you are more aware of the effects of a healthy lifestyle.

Secondly, education increases your chances of landing a job that can pay for a healthy lifestyle. No one said that it would be easy or cheap to live healthily, but it is most definitely worth it in the end.

Author Bio:

Alvin Franklin is a health enthusiast who has been a dynamic coach at university level for many years. His coaching has helped many students excel in the sports arena and win medals in various international tournaments. He’s a health blogger as well and his articles has inspired many to adopt a healthy lifestyle. When Alvin is not in the sports ground, he likes to spoil himself a bit by preparing continental food in the kitchen and going out for long drives.