Go USA! 4 Ways Watching the Olympics Benefits Your Health and Mood
From smiling in awe as Simone Biles achieves even greater heights to admiring the fastest men and women on the planet shatter records in track and field, watching the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics isn’t just exhilarating, it’s downright good for you. Whether you’re rooting for your home team every season or your home country every four years, studies show watching sports does everything from boost self-esteem to lift your mood to foster stronger social connections. Keep reading for a few surprising benefits of watching the Olympics.
4 feel-good benefits of watching the Olympics
Here's how getting caught up in the fun of watching the Olympics benefits your well-being.
1. Watching the Olympics increases self-worth
Just witnessing an athlete defy the odds to accomplish their long-held goals can help you achieve yours. “For many people, watching sports offers an indirect way to boost their self-esteem,” says social psychologist and expert on sports fanship Edward Hirt, PhD.
He explains that through a phenomenon called BIRGing (Basking In Reflected Glory), we vicariously experience others' success — and believe in our own “winning” potential as a result. “Rooting for our country is a great example of this ‘we are number one’ mentality," says Hirt. "And it suggests identifying with our sports heroes helps us believe we’re the heroes in our own story.”
Jamie Squire
2. Enjoying live sports together fosters bonds
“Our recent study [in Frontiers in Public Health] showed the benefits of attending sporting events in person,” reveals Helen Keyes, PhD, Head of the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University in England. “These benefits included increasing our sense that life is worthwhile and reducing feelings of loneliness. The effects were meaningful — attending live sporting events led to an even bigger increase [in life satisfaction] than being employed.”
While researchers don’t yet know exactly what’s driving these benefits, Keyes explains that attending a live sporting event taps into the importance of “being part of a crowd or community, together with a common purpose.” Though we may not be able to hop on a flight to Paris to take in all the pomp in person, we can fake a live experience with a viewing party right from our couch. After all, it’s the people we gather with who help us feel most connected to the true meaning of the Olympics.
3. 'Olympic awe' improves your mood
From an elegant dropshot in tennis to the seamless swoosh of a free throw in basketball, there’s a reason we call sports “poetry in motion.” In fact, just savoring Olympians’ superhuman feats lights up pleasure circuits in the brain, triggering the release of feel-good chemicals, according to a study in Sport Management Review.
“The grace of movement — be it in diving or gymnastics or track — is a huge part of the appeal of sport,” confirms Hirt. That’s particularly true during the Olympics when we’re exposed to events we normally don’t seek out. Such an exciting sense of novelty leads to an even greater experience of awe. And research in Perspectives in Psychological Science shows this transcendent feeling slashes anxiety, improves immune function and even makes us feel more connected to our community.
What's more, being a fan of sports that require strategy (like soccer) may just spark greater brain activity. "Cognitive psychologists tell us that when we watch a game, we're activating the spatial areas of our brain," explains Keyes. "Indeed, this even happens when we're listening to a match being described on the radio and are visually imagining it being played."
JEFF PACHOUD
4. Savoring Olympic memories deepens connections
“There is no sporting event that stirs more national pride or shows us where we stand on the world stage as dramatically as the Olympics,” observes Hirt. "The one thing that the Olympics does better than any other sporting event is highlight athletes' stories. We learn about them, their families and how much they had to sacrifice — like how Simone Biles’ prioritized her mental health to get where she is.”
These subplots are like little movies that stir our emotions and deepen our investment in athletes’ success. "The stories of Olympians connect generations over time, as we share them with our loved ones,” says Hirt. “They deepen our relationships because we draw sports into our social connections.” For example, you may well remember what it felt like to see Mary Lou Retton score a perfect 10. And when you share that memory with your kids or grandkids, you're creating a bond that transcends sport. In short, the watching the Olympics brings us closer and makes us happier.
For more inspiring articles about the Olympics:
Olympic Hopeful Has Near-Death Experience That Teaches Her “God Has A Plan For Us All”
Simone Biles’ Mom Reacts to Her Flawless Vault Performance! See the Viral Video of Her Response
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
