Keep Fit and Study On

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While the rest of the world is soaking up the holiday spirit, we are soaking up everything we’ve learnt since September. We say our goodbyes to family, friends and booze, and hello to the library, books and RedBull. As anyone who has ever experienced the horrors of exam season already knows, our lives are about to enter a period of total upheaval.

Keeping a balanced lifestyle during exams is next to impossible. Since our primary focus is our studies, we often find ourselves neglecting other aspects of our lives. For those who follow a rigid exercise plan, this can be stressful. We all know that a breach in our exercise regime can lead to a rapid decrease of our fitness level. Many therefore do not know how to deal with fitness during exams. You may prefer to keep up with your routine to avoid such a thing, but it is not always realistic.

Here are a few things you should know when assessing exercise during exams:

Maintaining your fitness level

One of the main downfalls of interrupting an exercise plan is a decrease in fitness levels. It is very important to monitor your fitness closely. Just as it is relatively easy to gain strength and endurance, it is much easier to lose it. All it takes is a significant break and you find yourself back to square one. This can be very frustrating, and even discouraging. However, there are ways to avoid it. If you plan on being completely inactive for a certain period of time, researchers have found that two weeks is the approximate timeframe in which a person can preserve their current fitness levels. However, it is estimated that after only four weeks, a person’s fitness levels decreases to that of when they first began their fitness routine. This being said, since being inactive for a long period of time is touchy, it is recommended that you simply cut back on your total workouts. Research has shown that a person who works out an average of six days a week can cut their workouts to two sessions only and still reap the same benefits. Doing fewer and shorter sessions may be a better alternative for surefire results.

Stress and fitness

Although many believe exercise to be a good stress reliever, it is not always the case. Being attentive to your body’s stress level is very important when physically active. When you exercise, your body engages in catabolic activity, which translates into the breakdown of tissues for fuel. To fix the damage, your body then tunes into its anabolic system, which translates into the rebuilding of tissues. In a well-balanced body, the catabolic and anabolic hormones balance each other out. It allows for proper breakdown and rebuilding of tissues, working towards a stronger and healthier body. However, as stress increases, your breakdown hormones become greater than your repair hormones, which can lead to hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue and disease. This being said, although regular exercise is extremely important, if it isn’t done right, it can be destructive. As exams are often stressful, it may not be an appropriate time to engage in catabolic activity. It would be preferable to engage in practices such as Thai-Chi, yoga or Pilates. Such anabolic activities would help you reduce your stress level, while staying active.

Fatigue and fitness

As studying can be exhausting, it is not always easy to find the energy and motivation to exercise. It is often thought that the body is too fatigued to engage in physical activity. However, this is a mere illusion. Research has shown that someone who is exhausted from brain activity has the same physiological reaction to exercise as someone who isn’t. What varies isn’t the benefits that the individual reaps from the activity, but its rate of perceived exertion. This being said, even though you may think you are too tired to workout, your body is still as physically ready. Engaging in practices that are used to calm the mind, such as deep breathing and meditation, can help put you in a better state of mind to workout.

Even though working out during exams can be challenging, it should not be neglected for too long. Keep in mind the different factors that come into play, assess your situation, adapt your routine and let the December madness begin.

Picture credits:

www.fitsugar.com

academicleadership.uottawa.ca

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