Elle Woods knew what she was talking about when she said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husband, they just don’t.”
While having an emotional support system and sleeping are only some of the many ways to reduce stress, however, Campus Recreation Services promotes working out as one of the most important because of the amount of benefits you recieve from moving your body. They even created a group fitness class schedule specifically for finals week so students can recharge their body and brain.
Stress can cause a variety of physical symptoms such as headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia and mood swings, and mental symptoms such as depression, irritability and anger. It can also cause behavioral change including loss of appetite, arguing and procrastination.
Students say they avoid working out during stressful times because they have too much on their mind and too many “to-do’s,” but Emily Sterner, a group fitness instructor at the ERC, said it is all about time management.
“Planning your workout into your day really helps and that’s what has worked for me. Work around whatever else you have going on, and go to a schedule group fitness class or set a time to workout on your own,” Sterner said.
Harvard Medical School published an article in 2011 titled “Exercising to Relax,” which says exercise reduces stress hormones and activates endorphin production, which are “the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.”
Aerobic exercises can also increase the hippocampus, the part of the brain that deals with verbal memory and learning, according to a study done at the University of British Columbia who published their results in April in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
“The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors—chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells,” Heidi Godman, Executive Editor of Harvard Health Letter and a journalism fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said in the article.
There are multiple types of workouts you can do, ranging from high impact training to low impact training, that will help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently by delivering oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.
Lifting, running and cycling are only a few workouts guaranteed to get your heart rate up and have you sweating out stress, and you will also stimulate brain chemicals that will make you feel happy and relaxed.
Group fitness classes are Sterner’s go-to workouts because they are convenient and she can go with friends who will hold her accountable. The ERC offers classes for all fitness levels, from BodyPump and Bootcamp to Pilates and Barre, so finding a class time that works with your schedule should not be a problem.
Yoga is a more calming workout that will still provide the benefits students need. You can practice changing your rapid, shallow breathing to slow, deep breathing. Controlling your breathe allows for relaxation of the mind and body.
If you absolutely cannot leave your room, then browse Youtube channels to get a quick, but efficient, workout from users such as Blogilates and DailyHiit.
Sterner said you do not have to do your exercise from beginning to end in one period of time, you can walk around during study breaks so you are not sitting for hours without moving.
Kaitlin Doyle, a Couple and Family Therapy master’s student, said working out gives students an outlet to do something other than their “daily grind of work.”
“I’m a graduate student so I’m super busy, but I try to be mindful about it. If it’s something I want to do that week then I’m going to have to take initiative and do it. It might not be at the most convenient time of day but that’s fine,” Doyle said.
The most important thing is to pick an exercise you enjoy because you will be able to get through it with a positive attitude.
There are no excuses if you plan your day properly. Use your time wisely by hitting the gym in-between classes or doing a video between study breaks. It can be done and maybe, you’ll feel less stressed.