Woot! There you have it! It was on the news this morning! Shopping is good for your health! It must be true. I’m not talking about occasional trips to the mall but daily shopping trips! Okay, maybe I need to qualify that but not until I bask in the thought of a little retail therapy……..

Back to reality. Apparently the study was done on older people in Taiwan who shopped daily and actually lived longer. The reasons: daily physical activity (I love when fitness and fashion come together outside of my blog), social interaction, and it keeps the mind sharp because it keeps the mind active. Ladies, tell your men that it was proven that men might possibly benefit the most. Like that would make a difference! As I am writing this, I see a vicious cycle before my eyes. Overspending leads to anxiety and stress, stress leads to ill health, anxiety needs therapy, shopping doesn’t require a therapist so the solution is retail therapy…..which could lead to overspending. But wait. It gets even better. The study showed that you don’t have to spend a dime to get the benefits. Window shopping works just as well. The message is not to spend money, its to get out there.

I feel validated by this study. Since most of my time is spent at home sitting at my desk in my office, I can get a little buggy by my lack of social interaction. I find myself actually looking forward to grocery shopping. I always manage to get the cart with a damaged wheel that is harder to push, hence the physical activity. Then I am sure to run in to someone I know for a little social interaction. And if reading all of those food labels doesn’t keep my mind sharp, the gossip magazines at the check out counter will. On the days that I don’t hit the grocery store, a trip to the bank can be just as exciting. Of course I can’t write a fashion blog without getting out there and seeing what is available in the malls and boutiques. I get a lot of exercise shopping for shoes for instance because I have a small foot and can try on all of the shoes on display. All of that bending and walking is so beneficial!

I’m trying to further validate my daily therapy by proving that the benefits apply to online shopping as well. Social interaction is available since many of the sites like Bluefly. com want to chat with me. My mind stays pretty sharp trying to remember which sites I have put items in my cart, and I suppose clicking could qualify as physical activity!

Ah, don’t you just love the morning news! It’s a beautiful day and I think I’ll go out and……do something that’s good for my health.