Exercise For Academic Success

Are you stressed for final exams or just the daily grind of normal classes? If so, taking a break from studying to exercise might be your ticket to success in the classroom.

Many people understand that regular exercise is beneficial to health and well-being, but some may not know how helpful it can be for increasing academic performance.

There are a few easy, helpful tips that can be used to easily break up monotonous study sessions with exercise.

• Give your brain regular breaks

-Studying is hard work.  Simply sitting in the same place for long periods of time can decrease motivation and even quality of work.  Taking a break can be as easy as standing up, going for a quick walk, or even extending the break to include an exercise routine.  Giving your brain a break can leave you refreshed and willing to tackle the next obstacles school throws at you.

• Study in groups and exercise in groups.

-Having a group to study with can increase motivation to study as well as productivity.  Along the same lines, taking regular breaks for enjoyable physical activities with a group, such as sports or games, can rejuvenate the group’s motivation to study after the break (Hammar, 2014).

• Exercise can help reduce anxiety.

-Whether you prefer cardio, strength training, or sports-related activities as far as exercise is concerned, all of them can improve mental health and relieve pressures associated with academics.  Regular exercise reduces the increased levels of anxiety we all face during periods of great stress, such as finals week (Wipfli, 2007).

• Set a study and break schedule.

-One key to success in any activity is consistency.  Setting time intervals for working and breaks can help you adhere to a schedule while still allowing time for your mind to recover.  For example, studying for 45 minutes with a 5 minute break can be a decent strategy.  A quick break is a nice reward for hard work during a study session. It has been shown that students tend to remain in higher academic standing when they take regular, short breaks for activities (Strongman, 2000).

-There is a reason that elementary schools observe regular recess periods during school days.  It allows for physical activity as well as increased attentiveness once the next study session begins (Dills, 2011).

Exercise can help relieve the stresses accumulated during academics.  There are many ways to give your mind a break that the rest of your body can benefit from as well.  Participating in regular physical activity can positively influence your academic career. The only barrier to receiving the benefits is finding an activity you enjoy and making some time to fit it in your schedule.