Study Finds Bible Reading Better Self-Care than Exercise

A study by the American Bible Society (ABS) finds that reading the Bible has better self-care outcomes than exercising, meditating, or even spending time with friends.

The State of the Bible report examined the impact of common self-care activities, including exercising, volunteering in the community, meditating, and praying, on individuals’ levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness, and hope. They then compared how reading Scriptures impacted those same feelings.

And although people who read Scriptures tended to participate equally in most self-care activities, except exercise, than those who did not, researchers found that reading the Word of God had a positive impact on stress, anxiety, loneliness, and hope.

“Our research confirms that all the things that people do to improve their general well-being — exercise, seeing friends, and so on — are statistically associated with fuller lives. So is Bible reading,” said John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series