The school year has just started but we already ask ourselves, “When’s summer?” Exams are beginning, weekly quizzes are piling and “mid-term” is already popping up in the syllabus after flipping a few pages. So stress and anxiety levels are rising, right? Give your brain a quick break and get your body moving!
“While it is well known that exercise improves mood, among other benefits, not as much is known about the potency of exercise’s impact on emotional state and whether these positive effects endure when we’re faced with everyday stressors once we leave the gym”, said J. Carson Smith, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s department of kinesiology in a university news release. “We found that exercise helps to buffer the effects of emotional exposure. If you exercise, you’ll not only reduce your anxiety, but you’ll be better able to maintain that reduced anxiety when confronted with emotional events.”
When exercising, people tend to lose track of everything around them and focus on what they’re doing at
that moment. This is when those endorphins are working their magic therefore; people who exercise become more motivated by pleasure than pain. It clears the mind for that period of time and you feel relaxed. The calm feeling carries on to your next activities like homework or studying so you can focus.
Students have busy schedules so fitness might not be their number one priority. If you’re just starting or haven’t been working out for a while, it’s best to pace yourself. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “Adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running).”
Many students find they struggle from lack of sleep due to a constant feeling of anxiety or stress. While everyone deals with these problems differently, exercise is one of the most advised solutions. Students can even go to the gym with a friend that’s maybe also having difficulty sleeping. Knowing a friend is waiting for you or planning a date and time is a powerful, motivational method.
Engaging in physical activity boosts your endorphin production, the neurotransmitters in your brain that cause pleasure and happy feelings. As said by Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy! Happy people just don’t kill their husbands.” Although releasing endorphins is commonly the “runner’s high”, any physical activity will do. Jumping rope, doing yoga and biking are all activities students can do at home in their free time. Even 20-30 minutes a day will cause improvement while watching what kind of food you eat.
Eating fresh and nutritious meals can also make you feel good. Here are some snacks to munch on without having to think twice:
• Craving Chocolate?
- 1 chocolate pudding cup with 1 graham-cracker square crushed and sprinkled on top
- 1 cup strawberries with 2 tbsp drizzled chocolate syrup
• On-The-Go
- 1 mini bag of wheat thins and 1 string cheese package
- 1 mini bag of dark chocolate covered pretzels
- Half a wheat bagel with 1 tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese
• At home
- 1 pack regular oatmeal with berries of your choice
- 1 slice wheat toast with 2 pan-fried egg whites