Integrating Fitness Into Your Study Regime
We all know that there are plenty of good reasons to be physically active;but new research is giving students even more reasons to don their sneakers and swipe their gym cards, as it shows that adding cardio to your daily study regime can not only rev up your energy, boost your productivity but notch up your memory, problem solving and thinking capacity.
In separate studies done at the University of British Columbia and the University of Georgia, researchers found that regular aerobic exercise, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus – the area of the brain responsible for verbal memory, information processing and learning.Whilst a study done in Stockholm showed that the antidepressant effect of running was also associated with more cell growth in the hippocampus.
“When it comes to exercise you are working out your brain at the same time as your heart,” explains Planet Fitness CEO Manny Rivera. “Studies have shown that even one 30-minute exercise session circulates extra blood to your brain, delivering the oxygen and nutrients it needs to perform at max efficiency, aiding your brain both directly and indirectly.”
Exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. Apart from an increase of blood and oxygen flow, it also aids the body to release a plethora of hormones including serotonin (the well-known mood booster); dopamine (which affects attention and learning); and norepinephrine (which influences attention, perception, motivation, and arousal). “All of these aid in creating a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells, and with exercise stimulating the brain’s plasticity through the growth of new connections or neurotransmitters it helps us focus, feel better, and release tension,” Rivera clarifies.
Yet integrating fitness into one’s everyday life can prove to be very challenging to a lot of people especially students, as they are very likely to engage in unhealthy and risky lifestyles which include amongst many things physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary practices studies suggest.
But considering the immense benefits it can have on their tertiary studies Planet Fitness’s JustGym’steam of health and fitness experts have put together an informal guide to help busy students tackle a seamless integration of exercise into their everyday life:
| Questioning why you should be incorporating exercise into your daily study regime? | Wondering how to get started? | How else can you integrate fitness and health into your routine? |
| ü Exercising in the morning before going to study or class not only spikes brain activity and prepares you for stress for the rest of the day, but also allows you to react to complex situations better and allows for the better retention of new information. | ü Start small; do small things in order to become more active and most importantly… stop making excuses! Get a few friends to be your exercise buddy, so as to motivate each other
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ü Squat while you brush your teeth twice a day- double the benefit!
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| ü Aerobic exercise is great for both body and brain. It improves brain function as well as acts as a “first aid kit” on damaged brain cells. | ü Find out about the nearest exercise facilities in your area such as JustGym – which offer rows and rows of cardio, weights and strength training equipment, group exercise classes and the latest crazes in functional training and Cross Training – without the unnecessary frills and fuss that all the other gyms make you pay for! | ü Jog between lectures / classes and see the calories adding up.
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| ü Mentally exhausted or “hitting a wall”? Reboot your brain function with a few jumping jacks. | ü If you like working out at the gym alone, opt for circuit work outs, which not only increase your heart rate, but work your brain by constantly redirecting your attention. | ü Double check what bag you are carrying your heavy books in- you don’t want to damage your back!
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| ü The fitter you are, the more energy you find – so keep to 3 workouts a week at least for a fit and healthy body and mind!! | ü When looking to change up your work out, look for an activity that incorporates coordination along with cardio exercise. | ü Keep a bottle of water during the day and keep drinking! Keep the brain rehydrated for exams!
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So before you convince yourself of all the reasons why you should not get fit especially during exams, think of all the benefits exercising will have on your entire regime as a student and ensure you have fun while you exercising.
“Whatever motivators or exercise you choose,you should commit to establishing exercise as a habit.We like to think of it as almost like taking prescription medication, as it is well known that exercise is a medicine in its own right, and that should be on the top of everyone’s list of reasons to get fit,” Rivera concludes.
-ENDS-
