Let's Get Physical

Diana Etwaru

Exercise. There are those who love it, then there’s the rest of us: agonizing over having to roll out of our blanket burritos and drag ourselves to the gym. As a student, it can also be hard to find the time to make it to the gym. Then when we’re actually there, it’s intimidating trying to figure out how to work the machines, and sometimes hard to ask an employee for help. Maybe learning the numerous non-health related benefits exercising can have (yeah they do exist!), will help motivate you to hit the gym!

Studies have shown that exercise can help improve your memory and thinking skills, meaning you’ll be able to study better. Scientists have looked at the hippocampus of people who exercised regularly compared to those who didn’t have an exercise routine. (The hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps to form long-term memory.) In those who exercised, their hippocampus was larger than those who don’t. The caveat is that cardio exercises (i.e. running and swimming) helped increase memory, while weight and resistance training did not. Exercise also helps improve learning via the release of growth factors, which can allow the growth of new blood vessels to the brain. (3)

Regular exercise has also been shown to give you some energy. When you exercise, oxygen gets deposited to your tissues, which allows you to do more things during the day. Exercise can also promote better sleep, no matter what time of the day you do it (though exercising raises your endorphin levels which is a hormone that might keep you awake, so probably best not to exercise 30 minutes before you want to sleep).(2)

And of course I wouldn’t be selling my pitch well if I didn’t talk about the health benefits exercise has. Exercising has been shown to decrease insomnia (1), prevent or manage depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and strokes. Not to mention the obvious that exercise can help regulate weight gain and loss.

Now exercise doesn’t mean running 4 miles outside then bench pressing your body weight. Pilates and yoga are great forms of exercise that might not be the first thing that comes to mind when “workout” is mentioned. Fitness is a journey, so start where you’re comfortable, and maybe you’ll find an exercise routine that makes you look forward to going to the gym!

1 : Hopkins Medicine - Exercising for Better Sleep
2 : Mayo Clinic - 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
3 :Harvard Medical School - Regular Exercise Changes the Brain to Improve Memory, Thinking Skills