As someone who has a form of IBS called Ulcerative Colitis I know, almost immediately, when I am stressed out because of obvious physical symptoms. Now, I am willing to bet that if I asked the average college student if they have ever been stressed out during the school year that most would say yes. I would also be willing to bet that most college/university students would say that they don't get a regular amount of intentional exercise. Most of this is due to time, limited space, and not being able to get into a correct state of mind. Unfortunately, unless you have a preexisting condition that is triggered by stress it can be hard to tell when you actually are under the influence of mental and physical stress for most people.
The step in dealing with stress that is even more important than getting rid of it is being able to recognize the signs of stress. There are physical, emotional, and mental symptoms of stress and it is equally important to recognize all of these areas. Some of the physical signs are: muscular tension, weak immune system, raised blood pressure, back pains, chronic exhaustion, and headaches. Some emotional repercussions are: depression, anger, dramatic mood changes, and emotional pressure. Mental symptoms of stress include: hard time concentrating, forgetfulness, and undesired thoughts. (For more information please go to http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/stress-and-colle... there are tons of helpful information).
Now that we know the signs of stress how is this problem addressed? As stated before there are plenty of reasons why college students have a hard time preventing stress especially with physical activity. Even here at Lander University it can be hard for some students to get their daily required activity for many reasons whether it is they don't want to be near other people or don't have the time! Well have no fear because I promise you there are plenty of ways to get that much-needed movement in order to live a healthier life and a much less stressful one!
This is the first of a two-part article series; this section will be about the why daily activity is so important. So before we can get into that, what I want to discuss are some of the why reasons that every student should be getting some sort of physical activity. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has amazing resources of reasons why every age group needs activity and what kind of activity each one needs. Even though everyone needs to move, I am talking about University students so here are some reasons why we need daily physical activity.
1) Weight Control
This is so important in our age where mass produced foods are brimming with saturated fats and unnecessary sodium that we stay active and healthy. Weight control and weight loss should not be confused with the same thing even though they are often thrown into the same category. The typical student studies sitting down because it helps them focus and calm down, however, the downside to this in college is that the typical student is usually always studying, aka usually sitting. Even though your body is sitting still your endocrine and nervous systems are working at maximum capacity to keep up with the mental stress that studying puts on the body. This stress makes your body require energy, aka food, and while you're stationary most of that consumed energy is not being used. Unused energy is typically later converted to adipose tissue (fat) which is essential to life unless it is in excessive quantities. Preventing this excessive tissue from building up will help prevent Cardiovascular problems on a massive scale!
2) Maintaining or Achieving a Healthy State of Mind
Regular exercise has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to maintain a good mental health state. This is absolute imperative for college students since our job as students revolve around using our mental abilities. Exercising releases a chemical called endorphins that act as painkillers for your body but also have positive effects on a person's mental health. Many mental disabilities often found in older people are typically tied to a low level of activity, which causes buildups of fats and cholesterol. Being active as a college student is not only beneficial to your current state of mind but helps prevent dozens of potential debilitating problems later on in life. The endorphin chemicals cause a calming reaction from the brain since they are natural pain killers and help reduce the feelings of stress astronomically.
Get out there and move!
