Importance of Exercise for College Students

As college students, many feel as if there is simply not enough time in the day.  Between classes, homework, exams, sleep, fitting in the occasional meal, and maintaining an active social life, we often already have enough to keep up with.  It might seem absurd to try to add another activity to the schedule. Although, there is one that students should make a priority. Exercise is something that often is overlooked throughout the four years of college, but with the proven benefits, should not be taking a back seat in our busy lives.  Twenty minutes of exercise a day could be life changing for many students.

Exercise Relieves Stress

With the workload that many students take on, stress is also a common feeling that follows. Prolonged stress often leads to health issues, and exercise is one of the ways to avoid these. If you have a big exam coming up that you cannot stop thinking about, exercise is the perfect stress reliever. By doing something as easy as a twenty-minute run, you can reduce your stress in a natural and healthy way.

Exercise Makes You Feel Better

We all have those days where we just cannot seem to get motivated.  Exercise is the perfect fix for those days. If you are feeling down or just not yourself, get moving with your favorite form of exercise.  While you are working out, your body is releasing a natural chemical known as endorphins. These are the bodies natural “feel good” chemical that boosts your mood in no time.  This proves that exercise will not only make you feel great physically but mentally as well.

Exercise Stimulates Brain Cells

As students, our brain is obviously extremely important to us.  If exercise can make our brains healthier and stronger then why not give it a try?  Exercise increases your heart rate which means that more oxygen is pumped to the brain.  This allows you to focus and retain more memory. This means that exercising could also improve your performance in the classroom as well.  

Exercise Builds Your Immune System

With plenty of other things to juggle, college students do not really have time to be sick.  Residents of GU have to remember that living on campus also means that illnesses can spread quickly. If you exercise regularly, your heart becomes stronger.  If you partake in anaerobic exercise, you are building a stronger heart and lungs. Anaerobic exercise increases the volume of blood and to the heart and lungs which also increases their strength.  Any kind of exercise is also building muscle strength and this can help you fight off infection when the flu season hits.

Exercise does not have to be something that you dread doing.  Find something that you enjoy but you can tell is working your body as well.  There are so many options such as walking, running, biking, and swimming. As students at Greenville University, we do have access to the Annex Training Center.  This is a great area that offers lots of exercise equipment. With the benefits that exercise provides we all should do our best to make this apart of our busy daily routine.