Meeting with friends twice a week greatly improves men's physical condition and well-being, according to Robin Dunbar, a leading psychologist and a professor of Oxford University. Dunbar said that men experience positive benefits of a friendship and enhance it by meeting up and 'doing stuff' (play football or rugby or share a joke over a pint of beer) than talking on a daily basis.

The study found that men, who maintain social groups are healthier, recuperate from sickness more quickly and tend to be more kind. It also helps them ward off depression caused due to worries about money and job insecurity and energizes onseelf after long working hours.

During the study, two out of five men claimed that they could meet their friends only once a week and some more found it difficult to catch up frequently.

Apart from the health benefits of friendship, the study also found that men spend one fifth of their day communicating with their friends mainly through online social media, text and phone conversations and on average, they spend just less than half of their social time chatting with their four to five close friends.

"Bonds can be formed through a range of activities from team sports to male banter - or simply having a pint with your pals on a Friday night. However, the key to maintaining strong friendships is to meet up twice a week and do stuff with the four people closest to you," Dunbar, whose report was commissioned by Guinness, told Daily Mail UK.

"When guys get together physically and more frequently with their mates, their friendships become stronger, better and a richer life results," Stephen O'Kelly, from Guinness, told Daily Mail UK.

"Science is telling us to have more fun together and do more stuff. This is great news, for we must obey science," the writer Danny Wallace told Daily Mail UK.