With final fast approaching, many students are scavenging for study groups, free time, and lots of caffeine. But what if the best way to get your brain moving had more to do with getting something else moving?
Exercise can have lots of benefits on both our physical and mental health. Working out isn’t just about getting your body to look good; it’s just as great to help your body feel good. We all know that having to study for a big test can be a stressful time, and luckily exercise provides an excellent way to relieve that stress. Exercise can provide a positive outlook for you to relieve some of the tension you may feel inside.
Physical exercise affects the brain in many ways. Working out elevates your heart rate, resulting in an increased flow of oxygen to your brain. Your body also releases a plethora of hormones like dopamine and serotonin. These and other endorphins released during and after exercising can contribute to positive feelings, restful sleep and brain growth. Imagine how much better you’ll be studying with all those new and refreshed brain cells. Not to mention the part of your brain that sees the most of this cellular growth is the region that affects your learning and understanding.
Often times during school we get stuck in a cycle of stressing over our work to the point that we put it off and stress even more. We spend so much time worrying about getting an assignment done that we forget to actually do the assignment. If only we realized how helpful it can be to take a break and go to the gym or go running. The physical and mental benefits of exercise can often be just what we need to rejuvenate our attitude towards our work. Even the simplest exercise can boost your motivation and creativity.
As with anything, it is also not helpful to overdo it. Trying to run three miles while doing your reading for class will probably not give you a higher quiz grade. Too much exercise can overstimulate the body and being to have negative effects that might outweigh the positive benefits. It is important to not ask too much of yourself and to find the workout schedule that works best for you.
School can offer many ways for a student to become overworked and stressed. We feel as though there isn’t enough time in the day to complete all our work and forget that sometimes our minds need a break and our bodies need time to take over. Going for a run or hitting up the gym, even for a short time, can have a tremendous affect on how we perform in the classroom. It can also provide a means to get rid of that unwanted stress we may be dealing with.
Especially around finals, we may feel like we don’t have time to leave our desk to go grab a snack let alone go exercise. But at the end of the day, your body and mind will thank you for taking a break at the gym. So next time you feel overworked and overstressed, instead of breaking out all the caffeinated beverages and retreating to a quiet study room for four days straight, relax, take a deep breath and lace up those sneakers. You and your mind will thank you later.
