Even though our wives or girlfriends may not always understand it, sometimes we really do just feel like going out with the guys. Luckily, men now have science in their corner after a recent study conducted by Oxford University determined that it’s in the benefit of a man’s health if he goes out and physically meets with friends twice a week. The study comes as fantastic news for men everywhere, as it now provides conclusive evidence that we actually need to go out and get drunk!
No more listening to wives saying they’d rather you stayed home. Now you can simply point to this study, followed up quickly by saying something along the lines of “but honey, you keep saying you want me to be healthier.”
The study in question focused on the benefits of male friendship, which include a strengthened immune system, decrease in stress and anxiety and the release of endorphins. It’s thought that healthy male friendships even make you more caring and generous, two things that she’s sure to love.
However, in order to actually gain the full effect of these benefits, the study concluded that men needed to physically spend meaningful time with four friends twice a week. Although this time could well be spent in other ways, the researchers noted that going out for a night of bar hopping with friends was a great way to build a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
In turn, these help form the deeper bonds needed for meaningful friendships. To make a long story short, bars + friends = health benefits.
Previous studies have also shown that being around people with ‘healthy moods,’ i.e. happy, upbeat people, lowers your chance of depression by more than 50 percent. Luckily, the aforementioned release of endorphins means everyone is generally in a great mood on any night out with their friends, especially when some alcohol is involved. This means that those bi-weekly bar crawls could end up benefitting your mood and long-term mental health as well.
