You know how a typical day goes for a student. Classes take up the lion’s share of the day. Then, onto doing homework and prepping for tomorrow’s classes or upcoming exams.
That can easily add up to 8 to 10 hours of sedentary activity in a given day. Add extracurriculars, sleep, meals, and commute to the mix, and who could possibly have an extra hour to work out properly?
But that’s the misconception about staying physically active. You don’t need to dedicate tons of time to exercise and you don’t have to live at the gym, either.
So, how much exercise is actually enough? Let’s break it down and explain why you should make the effort.
Why Is Physical Activity Important for Students?
Around the world, 81% of adolescents aged 11 to 17 years are physically inactive, according to the WHO. Things aren’t looking much better vis-a-vis physical activity for students in college, either. In the United States, most don’t meet the definition of physically active.
So, students of all ages tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle, spending most of their time sitting or lounging. Why is that a problem? Well, there are multiple reasons to be alarmed:
- Lack of exercise impacts mental and physical health, both of which indirectly affect the ability to learn.
- Exercise correlates with better sleep quality, and sleep is crucial for memory, mood, and concentration.
- Physical activity helps forge stronger bonds with peers. That helps counteract feelings of isolation and loneliness, which affect 17% to 21% of 13- to 29-year-olds around the world.
- Student life can be incredibly stressful. Exercise helps reduce stress levels and build resilience.
How Much Physical Activity Per Week Is Enough?
Let’s take a look at the WHO guidelines for different age groups:
The CDC guidelines mirror the WHO recommendations for both adolescents and adults.
Keep in mind: this is the baseline, the minimum amount of physical activity you should get. You can choose to get more exercise and reap extra benefits in the process. But dip below it, and you face increased health risks, from obesity to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Benefits of Physical Activity for Students Go Well Beyond Fitness
You might already know that exercise helps maintain a moderate weight and prevent obesity. (It does so by increasing metabolic rates, by the way.) But that’s hardly the only effect it has on the body. For example, exercise also helps children and adolescents:
- Improve attention and memory
- Maintain normal blood sugar levels
- Prevent chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes
- Strengthen bones and build muscle
- Improve blood pressure and aerobic fitness
- Boost energy levels and reduce fatigue
- Release tension
- Improve sleep duration and quality
These benefits carry forward into adulthood, too.
Ultimately, exercise helps maintain overall health and boost students’ productivity by improving sleep, energy levels, and even brain health itself.
Physical Activity Benefits for Students Extend to Academic Performance, Too
Speaking of brain health. Even a single exercise session improves certain types of memory. Regular exercise, in turn, may be responsible for an increase in the size of the hippocampus, part of the brain that’s vital for memory and learning.
Any exercise that gets your heart pumping increases blood flow to the brain. With it, more oxygen arrives in the brain, too. That, along with the exercise-triggered release of certain hormones, helps stimulate neural connectivity and brain cell growth.
As a result, regular exercise promotes:
- Attention and concentration
- Memory
- Executive functioning
- Cognitive performance
Multiple studies have found that regular exercise improves mathematics and reading performance, as well as overall academic performance. That said, it doesn’t guarantee better grades on its own. It merely helps students learn more effectively.
Now, What About Physical Activity and Mental Health Benefits?
Yes, that’s right: physical activity is as good for the mind as it is for the body. For example:
- Anxiety and stress: Exercise reduces sensitivity to the physical symptoms of anxiety and decreases stress hormones like cortisol. It can also distract you from negative thoughts.
- Depression: Even light exercise can reduce the severity of depression. Exercise in general can be as effective a remedy for depression as other approaches.
- Resilience: Physical activity lowers physiological reactivity to stress, which means you’re less likely to get stressed out in the first place.
- General mood: Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, “feel-good” chemicals.
All of that is exactly why you should exercise even in particularly stressful times. If deadlines or exams are looming over you, a brisk walk can help “reset” your mind, reduce stress, and improve your mood.
How to Incorporate Physical Activity for Students into Daily Life
One look at those WHO and CDC recommendations might’ve conjured up the image of spending 150 minutes a week at the gym in your mind. But that’s a major misconception. Even routine actions like cycling instead of driving or taking the bus count toward that goal.
Here are six simple ways you can make physical activity part of daily life:
- Climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator
- Walk around the campus or school between classes
- Ditch the car for a bike for short-distance rides
- Do simple workouts at home
- Go for a short walk or do a brief workout between study sessions
- Join a local sports club
Here’s what it can look like over a week:
Physical Activity Examples for Students Worth Considering
Can’t think of a good example of physical activity for students? No worries: we have you covered.
Everyday Movement
Even if you dedicate 30 minutes a day to structured exercise, it’s still important to move around during the day. The longer you stay immobile, the more glucose accumulates in your blood because your large muscles don’t use it. That prompts blood sugar levels to rise.
Here’s what you can do to keep your body moving every day:
- Take the stairs when possible
- Walk to class
- Walk around during breaks
- Go cycling
- Walk to get coffee or lunch
- Get moving while doing chores
- Pace while talking on the phone
- Get up and stretch while watching TV
Structured Exercise
This is probably what you think of when you picture physical activity. There are four types of structured exercise:
- Aerobic exercise: Running, swimming, dancing, basketball, tennis
- Strength training: Pushups, lifting weights, resistance bands
- Flexibility exercises: Stretching exercises, yoga, pilates
- Balance exercises: Yoga, tai chi
Try to dedicate enough time to aerobic and strength exercises, at the very least. Both are important no matter the age.
Social Activities
Exercising doesn’t have to be a solo activity. In fact, engaging in physical activity with others can help you build habits, stay motivated, and, of course, forge new connections.
Not sure where to start? Luckily, there are plenty of options, including:
- Basketball
- Football
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Rock climbing
- Hiking with friends
- Fitness classes
- Dance classes
- University sports clubs
In Closing
Yes, exercise is good for your body, but physical activity benefits for students extend well beyond physical health. Regular exercise, even if it’s moderate, can quite literally turn them into more productive learners.
Before you close the tab, here’s some parting wisdom: physical activity is better than no activity at all. So, even if you slip up one week, don’t give up. The same rings true if you don’t have time for your usual serving of structured exercise during busy times of the year, too.
Any Questions?
