5 Reasons why exercising makes you a better student

Without any doubt in my mind, I know that exercise makes me a better student. Although, I am by no means an expert in sport and fitness, it is true that whether I go for a brisk walk or participate in a high impact gym class – working out improves how I learn for many reasons. Simply spending 15-20 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week conducting some sort of physical activity genuinely improves our ability to learn. And, as the photo above shows, jumping around in the outdoors surrounded by nature can act as a massive boost to us all.

I’ve linked in several articles which will give you further scientific back up regarding why exercise helps us learn so you can read further, but here’s how I believe it helps:

1. Exercise gives you energy – it’s a common misconception that working out makes us tired. The opposite is in fact true, go for a walk in the fresh air in between studying and you will return to your desk energised and raring to absorb more learning. Your mood will be improved and your energy levels will have soared.
2. Exercise improves your sleep pattern – studies show that you have a more productive sleep after exercising. Your sleep will be deeper and more restorative which benefits your body and soul. A good night’s sleep is vital to help us study well and the quality of sleep is what really matters. For those of you who possess a sleep tracker app or device compare the statistics on days you have exercised to those you haven’t – the results will speak for themselves. Try it!
3. Exercise improves your mental health – research is clear on the subject of improved mental health being related to even a minimal amount of exercise. Sufferers for example of depression and anxiety can be greatly helped by physical activity. A feeling of well-being makes a student more confident to face the challenges of study, and exercise can be a powerful tool to really make a difference and make learning less overwhelming.
4. Exercise boosts concentration and improves memory – we all need to remember what we’ve learned to pass exams and brain focus is vital for successful assignment completion. Medical professionals report that physical activity aids memory and concentration. Although exactly which exercises are most beneficial to improve these elements of your learning has not been identified, it’s almost irrelevant – as long as you do something you’ll be helping yourself improve your studying ability.
5. Exercise reduces stress – no matter how calm and collected you are there will be a point in your academic journey where you will experience stress to some degree. It may be before exams or it might be because you can’t get to grips with your assignment. Stress can be debilitating, the reason behind why exercise is a superb stress reliever is that it takes your mind off the cause of the stress and acts as a significant distraction. You may feel this only works during the actual physical activity however when your mind is taken off the subject that causes you stress, even for a short time you can experience a different perspective which helps you manage the stress.

So, no more procrastinating, get out there and do something today. It really doesn’t matter what exercise you decide upon, anything is better than nothing and trust me you really will feel great afterwards and it will genuinely make you a better student.

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Keep chasing those A’s

Jen

Voice of The Mature Student Tribe