Chapter 37: Exercise

Regular Exercise: Health for Life

The importance of getting regular exercise is probably nothing new to you. The health benefits are well known and established. Regular physical activity can produce long-term health benefits by reducing your risk of many health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It can also increase your chances of living longer, help you control your weight, and even help you sleep better.

As a busy college student, you may be thinking, I know this, but I don’t have time! I have classes and work and a full life! What you may not know is that—precisely because you have such a demanding, possibly stressful schedule—now is the perfect time to make exercise a regular part of your life. Getting into an effective exercise routine now will not only make it easier to build healthy habits that you can take with you into your life after college, but it can actually help you be a more successful student, too. As you’ll see in the section on brain health below, exercise is a powerful tool for improving one’s mental health and memory—both of which are especially important when you’re in school.

The good news is that most people can improve their health and quality of life through a modest increase in daily activity. You don’t have to join a gym, spend a lot of money, or even do the same activity every time.

Fight, Flight, or Freeze

Our bodies have an automatic “fight, flight, or freeze” reaction when we perceive a threat. Fighting or running is physical exercise and the result is metabolizing our excessive stress hormones and bringing our bodies and minds back to a more relaxed state. Even though we do not suffer from the same threats incurred many years ago, we still perceive threats and we still suffer from stress. Exercise has many physical and mental benefits in addition to lowering stress.

Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do to be healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its benefits include controlling weight, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, reducing risk for type two diabetes, reducing risk of cancer, strengthening bones and muscles, improving mental health and mood, and increasing chances of living longer[1]. One assignment I give my students is to record all food and drinks consumed in one week, along with keeping records of how much exercise and how many hours of sleep they get. Some students know exactly what they are putting into their body and how they are treating it. Most are surprised at how much a little of one or more of these important aspects count. Try it. Think of it as an opportunity to see what you actually put into your body, and how much exercise and rest you give it.

After a class, I was speaking with a student about diet and nutrition and our conversation led to a discussion on the contrast of what some student parents give their children to eat versus what they eat themselves. It reminded me of the 5-2-1-0 graphic my children recognize at their pediatrician visits. It stands for 5 or more fruits or vegetables, 2 hours or less recreational screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity, 0 sugary drinks (each day). Of course, it is designed for kids. But many students would do well for themselves to keep the 5-2-1-0 recommendation in mind[2].

Our bodies are more prone to getting sick if we do not take care of them. Getting sick in the middle of an academic term can have devastating effects on academic performance.

Since college can be a sedentary time and physical activity is sacrificed in a busy life, a much better way to go is to make a schedule, stick to it, prepare and review periodically, get adequate sleep, eat well, and be on an exercise plan.

For optimal concentration levels, work performance, and test scores, proper nutrition and adequate sleep have a large effect. Exercise helps clear the mind, boost energy and concentration, improve memory, and lift your mood, which helps to deal with the overwhelming demand of college work.

Physical Fitness and Types of Exercise

Physical fitness is a state of well-being that gives you sufficient energy to perform daily activities without getting overly tired or winded. It also means being in good enough shape to handle unexpected emergencies involving physical demands.

There are many forms of exercise—dancing, rock climbing, walking, jogging, yoga, bike riding—that can help you become physically fit. The major types are described below.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, works your muscles, and raises your breathing rate. For most people, it’s best to aim for a total of about thirty minutes a day, four or five days a week. If you haven’t been active recently, you can start out with five or ten minutes a day and work up to more time each week. Or, split up your activity for the day: try a brisk ten-minute walk after each meal. If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise more than thirty minutes a day. The following are some examples of aerobic exercise:

• A brisk walk (outside or inside on a treadmill)
• Dancing
• A low-impact aerobics class
• Swimming or water aerobic exercises
• Ice-skating or roller-skating
• Playing tennis
• Riding a stationary bicycle indoors

Strength Training

Strength training, done several times a week, helps build strong bones and muscles and makes everyday chores like carrying heavy backpacks (grocery bags or a baby) easier. When you have more muscle mass, you burn more calories, even at rest. Here are some ways to do it:

• Join a class to do strength training with weights, elastic bands, or plastic tubes (if your college has a gym, take advantage of it!)
• Lift light weights at home

Flexibility Exercises

Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, help keep your joints flexible and reduce your risk of injury during other activities. Gentle stretching for five to ten minutes helps your body warm up and get ready for aerobic activities such as walking or swimming. Check to see if your college offers yoga, stretching, and/or pilates classes, and give one a try.

Being Active Throughout the Day

In addition to formal exercise, there are many opportunities to be active throughout the day. Being active helps burn calories. The more you move around, the more energy you will have. The following strategies can help you increase your activity level:

• Walk instead of drive whenever possible
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Work in the garden, rake leaves, or do some housecleaning every day
• Park at the far end of the campus lot and walk to class
• Track your step count on your smartphone app
• Listen to course material or a podcast while on the treadmill or on a stroll

Benefits of Exercise and Physical Fitness

Longevity

Exercise, as we age, can add healthy, active years to one’s life. Studies continue to show that it’s never too late to start exercising and that even small improvements in physical fitness can significantly lower the risk of death. Simply walking regularly can prolong your life.

Moderately fit people—even if they smoke or have high blood pressure—have a lower mortality rate than the least fit. Resistance training is important because it’s the only form of exercise that can slow and even reverse the decline of muscle mass, bone density, and strength. Adding workouts that focus on speed and agility can be especially protective for older people. Flexibility exercises help reduce the stiffness and loss of balance that accompanies aging.

Diabetes

Diabetes, particularly type 2, is reaching epidemic proportions throughout the world as more and more cultures adopt Western-style diets (which tend to be high in sugar and fat). Aerobic exercise is proving to have significant and particular benefits for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes; it increases sensitivity to insulin, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, and decreases body fat. In fact, studies show that people who engage in regular, moderate aerobic exercise (e.g., brisk walking, biking) lower their risk for diabetes even if they do not lose weight. Anyone on insulin or who has complications from diabetes should get advice from a physician before embarking on a workout program.

Brain: Mood, Memory, Creativity

In addition to keeping your heart healthy, helping with physical activity, and helping you live longer, regular exercise can also improve your mood and help keep depression and anxiety at bay. Exercise also helps you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality. The following video explains why and challenges you to give it a try:

Video: Exercise and the Brain

If you still aren’t persuaded, check out this slightly longer but excellent TEDx Talk, which describes how aerobic exercise can improve your cognitive functioning, memory, and creativity:

Video: Exercise and the Brain, Wendy Suzuki, TEDx Orlando 2001

Campus Recreation Center

Students should take advantage of the campus recreation center (stationary bike or treadmill, indoor track, pool); fitness classes (cardio, strength training, cycling, yoga, dance, Pilates and Zumba) that can be taken for credit; intramural sports and club sports (soccer, basketball, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee); health and nutrition centers and programs; outdoor programs (equipment loans or rentals, everything from tents and backpacks to kayaks and snowshoes); and organized trips and lessons.

Safety in the Gym

Women and genderqueer people experience discomfort or uneasiness in the campus recreation center, which is a male-dominated atmosphere, especially the free weights section. Bullying, intimidation, harassment, or discrimination is common. To feel safe, women and others alter their behavior, clothes, workout program, or participation. Creating an empowering safe space for those who would otherwise not enter college gyms for cultural or religious reasons, for fear of harassment, or for weight-related stigma is important.

Accessible Fitness and Sporting Events

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act have a provision for “auxiliary aids”, which means it is the university’s responsibility to provide auxiliary aids such as specialized gym equipment. Is the location accessible? Is there an accessible changing room? Does the college facility offer adaptive fitness classes? Are instructors trained to modify based on varying abilities? Does the college offer adaptive sports programs?