Physical Heath Benefit in College Students

During college years, students become more sedentary and as their physical activities decrease, their Body Mass Index and weight increases. It’s a gradual process, students come out of college significantly less active and heavier compared to when they started their freshman year. Overall health benefits of physical activity significantly reduces ones rick of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancers. Being more physically active strengthens your bones and muscles, improves your overall mental health and mood, and increases your chances of living longer. A study conducted of 493 college students, proved that between men and women, men reported more hours per week doing sedentary behaviors than women, but they also reported higher levels of exercise compared to women.

Effects of physical activity extend beyond the short-term. Research shows that exercise can also help alleviate long-term depression. Exercise can boost a depressed person’s outlook by helping them return to meaningful activity and providing a sense of accomplishment. Studies show that active people are less depressed than inactive people. Then there’s the fact that a person’s responsiveness to stress is moderated by activity. “Exercise may be a way of biologically toughening up the brain so stress has less of a central impact,” Otto.