When you are in college, it can be difficult to get anything done at all. However, it is important to fit in a few essential things to keep your health and wellbeing in check. One of those things is getting exercise. There are a number of reasons why exercise is so important. All in all, exercise will not only keep up your spirits and ward off stress; it will also help you keep your metabolism in order. During your college years, all that stagnation and sedentary living can add on a few pounds to your frame. Here are five reasons to make time for exercise in college.
- It Will Lower Stress
One of the most important reasons to make time for exercise in college is to help lower stress. Stress is a major killer, sometimes literally, in universities across the country. If you simply get thirty minutes a day of exercise – from running to walking to lifting weights – you will notice a huge boost in serotonin.
- It Will Reduce Depression
Not only will exercise reduce stress, it will also help reduce depression. Many college students get depressed – either from academic pressures or social pressures. It is important to ward off depression, because you don’t want your blues to get in the way of being able to do your schoolwork. Moreover, being depressed all the time can significantly reduce your quality of life. Indeed, your college years are supposed to be the best years of your life. Exercising can maintain your spirits so that you really can enjoy yourself and succeed in college.
- It Will Make Your Mind Work More Productively
Of course, getting exercise will also keep your mind in good working order. If you don’t exercise, you may notice that your mind feels a little shuffled. When you release serotonin and dopamine, your synapses will be firing much more efficiently. Not only will you be able to study more productivity – you will also be able to retain more information, which is critical when you are studying for an exam. The last thing you want is to cram and not be able to recall everything you crammed.
- It Will Help You Stay in Shape
Staying in shape is also important in college. Of course, staying in shape will help you maintain a more positive disposition, but it will also keep you feeling fit. If you run up a flight of stairs and feel winded, you may be out of shape. Studies show that staying in shape can make you live longer and it can make you more resilient to sickness. This is especially the case if you are taking a UAB Online course, which can encourage a sedentary life.
- It Will Help Keep Your Metabolism in Check
On top of everything, getting exercise is critical for fighting that “freshman 15,” which is usually caused by a drastic change in diet. If you are subsisting on snack food and nutrient-poor dinners, it is vitally important that you get exercise to offset some of your bad habits. In the end, exercising will keep your metabolism in order so that you don’t gain a pound.
