Being a student can be very time-consuming. Whether you are attending community college, living on campus at a university, or studying for an online degree like an online MSW, you can feel like you have very little free time. This can mean you make things like exercise a low priority, perhaps thinking that you’ll get back on track and back in shape once you’ve completed your degree.
However, not getting enough exercise doesn’t just mean you’ll get a bit out of shape temporarily until you have more time. It can actually have other effects that will make doing your best on your course more difficult. Fitting in 30-minutes to an hour of exercise most days is all it takes to avoid these problems, and it can also give you an enjoyable way to feel like you aren’t spending every waking moment studying! Here are some of the reasons why doing this is so important.
Exercise Will Improve Your Concentration
It can be hard to stay focused on your studies, whether you need to concentrate through lectures at your college or spend long periods of time focusing on writing to complete your assignments. People studying mostly at home, such as those on online MSW programs, can find it especially difficult to keep concentration in check and avoid procrastinating. Exercise actually helps with this a lot. This is partly because it boosts your energy levels and promotes healthy brain function, but also because it forces you to do something productive and refreshing with your breaks, rather than staying at your computer and browsing the web, which often doesn’t feel like a break at all when you go back to work.
Exercise Will Help Avoid Student Stress
A lot of students feel stress, whether because of their workloads or because of anxiety about how they will perform in things like exams. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress levels and help you mentally cope with student life. It can also help ensure you sleep better, which can be another vital factor in avoiding stress-related health issues and being able to perform at your best in school. The intensity of the exercise doesn’t have to be high to get these benefits – even some gentle yoga or walking can help bust stress.
The ‘Freshman 15’ Is Worth Avoiding
Gaining 10-15 pounds may be considered a rite of passage for new students, but it is much better if you can avoid as losing weight later is a lot harder than maintaining your current weight, and getting into bad habits now will make the process even more difficult. Regular exercise will help avoid weight gain and also help you retain your lean muscle, so your metabolism will remain fast. You will be glad you did this when you don’t have to struggle on a diet in a couple of years to get back to where you are now!
These are just some of the reasons exercise is important to make time for as a student.