Top 8 Benefits of Exercise for Students

Students in today's day and age are spending most of their time chasing goals that are only related to studying. Although that can be a good thing, studying for long hours without any physical movement can be detrimental to physical and mental health. Whereas this can affect anyone, young people are at the highest risk.

There are multiple benefits of exercise for students, and also, there are various factors that influence it. Read on to find out how regular physical activity, even for a short period, will have positive impacts on a student's overall lifestyle.

Even though you as a student may feel like you have no time to spare apart from studying, you should consider exercising three times a week for at least 30 minutes. This is because, along with improving overall health, it also impacts your ability to learn. It can be any form of physical activity like swimming, running, weight training, yoga, pilates or whatever you may feel comfortable with. 

Here are the positive aspects of exercising that are especially beneficial for students:

1. Improves Focus

Exercise activates your brain, which increases its ability to concentrate and enhances information retention capacity and memory. It also improves attention and alertness, which helps you to perform better during your lessons.

2. Reduces Risk of Mental Illnesses

Studying for long hours can be stressful and exhausting. After physical activity, the brain releases chemicals called endorphins which are also known as ‘feel-good’ hormones. These make you relaxed and uplift your mood, thus banishing feelings of anxiety and depression.

3. Helps in Cognitive Development

Students spend most of their time studying alone in enclosed spaces. Participating in physical activities in groups will develop social skills as well as problem-solving skills in pupils. Moreover, students will also interact with others while gaining physical vigour.

4. Increases Energy Level

When you are physically active regularly, your body will get accustomed to it and automatically have more energy. It will also help you combat fatigue, and as a result, you will enjoy learning.

5. Improves Sleep Quality

Students who participate in aerobic exercises will enjoy a deep and better quality of sleep as a result of performing physical activities. Good quality sleep not only promotes healing of the body but also helps to manage stress. Getting a good sleep also helps students to better focus on their day-to-day activities.

6. Makes the Body Strong and Healthy

Developing an exercise routine at a young age will reduce your risk of developing a lot of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and many such conditions. Moreover, having a strong body also lowers the chances of falling ill frequently and lets you enjoy good health for a long time.

7. Builds Self-confidence

Trying out any form of physical activity that you are good at and enjoy, such as a new sport, swimming, hiking etc., will build your self-confidence. This will motivate and inspire you to try out more new things.

8. Makes a Fun Leisure Activity

Since students are mostly under stress from studying for long hours, taking a break to perform a physical activity will provide a much-needed break. They can also exercise in their free time, which will create a healthy distraction from the stress of daily life. 

Moreover, enjoying a particular form of exercise will increase the chances of young students continuing it for an extended period, creating a long-term good habit. Since students spend a major portion of their time at the place of their study, such as schools, colleges and universities, they play a vital role in developing the habit of exercising in students.

Although young and grown-up students spend a significant amount of time in their places of study, home is the first place where they learn everything. Thus immediate guardians, especially parents, play a huge role in imbuing exercise habits into students at a young age.

As a parent, you can take the following steps to help your child develop an interest in physical activities early on in their lives:

1. Exercise Together

Children learn a lot from the behaviour of adults. So, if you wish to teach your child the importance of exercising from a young age, you must find physical activities you can perform with them. For example, playing an outdoor game like volleyball, or cricket, going for a run in the park together, and dancing will let kids see you being active.

Both indoor and outdoor activities can help you be active with your child. Apart from being active, these will allow you to spend quality time with your ward.

2. Teach Children About The Benefits of Exercising

Apart from doing exercises with your child, you can also tell them why it is good for them. Teach children about which exercises strengthen which body part and the science behind it. You can also use this as an opportunity to teach them about the importance of a healthy body and its correlation with exercising.

Kids are more likely to take an interest in a certain activity when they learn why it is important. Moreover, if they learn about it early on, it will leave a good lasting impression on them for the rest of their lives.

3. Encourage Children to Play Outside

Encouraging your kids to play outside in places like parks will automatically make them active since they will get an open space to move freely. It is also beneficial since breathing the fresh air outside will positively impact their mind alongside their physical health.

Moreover, they will get to interact with many others of the same age, interact and socialise. This will teach them the fun of physical exercises such as running and playing in groups.

4. Find an Activity Your Child Will Enjoy

When kids take a genuine interest in something at a young age, the possibility of their sticking to it, in the long run, will be high. So, if you want your children to exercise regularly, you have to help them find an activity that they think is enjoyable.

Since it is likely for kids to want to do what they enjoy frequently, keep an eye on what type of physical exercise they want to perform regularly. Once you have identified what they are interested in, schedule a time for that particular task in their daily routine. This way, children will put more effort towards performing those activities daily.

A well-maintained environment at places of study boosts the achievements of staff and students alike in their respective spheres. There is no doubt that educational institutes play a vital role in enhancing not only the academic achievements of a pupil.

However, recently there has been a rise in problems, such as low stamina, lack of focus, obesity etc., among students. This has raised questions about the role of schools, colleges etc., in improving a student’s physical health. The key point to remember is that not all physical activity has to be strenuous to be effective. Various factors determine how educational institutions can regulate physical exercises among students of various age groups.

i) Steps to Boost Physical Activities in Students

Following are the ways educational organisations can incorporate exercise for students:

• Educational institutes can include a mandatory physical education/ activity class with proper guidance for students. If this happens once or twice a week, it will encourage every pupil to be active regularly. 
• Schools and colleges can have their own in-house sports teams that will motivate everyone to join and be active together.
• Institutions can build facilities such as gymnasiums and stock sports equipment for the use of staff and students alike.
• Organising inter-school sports competitions, hosting annual sporting events etc., is also an excellent way of motivating students for physical activities.

ii) Activities for Students According to Fitness Personalities

Since not every student can be good at sports, educational organisations can categorise kids into different types according to their fitness personalities. This will help the authorities plan different types of sports and games for each category of students. 

• Athlete- These are students who are good at sports, have high physical stamina and are competitive. They will be good fits for games like football, basketball, competitive gymnastics etc. 
• Casual athlete- A student who likes to play sports now and then but is not likely to participate in competitive sports. They can engage in sports such as badminton, tennis etc.
• Non-athlete- This student may lack both interest and the ability to participate in physical activities. Educators can encourage these students to participate in stretching, yoga etc., to build their liking for physical activities slowly. 

Similarly, institutes can categorise students into different age groups to better chalk out what works for the section.

iii) Planning Exercises for Students Per Age-Based Categories

Not every physical activity suits every student. This is why age-based categorisation will help the authorities to determine the importance of exercise for students of different age groups. 

• Pre-schoolers (Ages 3-5 years) 

Since kids these young lack many fundamental skills, activities such as: throwing a ball, hopping on one foot, running obstacle courses etc., will be great sports options. 

• School-age children (aged 6-12 years) 

Sports choices for students of this age group can include hiking, basketball, biking, running etc. 

• Teenagers (Ages 13-19 years) 

These students have multiple choices for physical activities ranging from cricket and football to yoga and skateboarding. This will be easier since pupils of this age group will already develop preferences for their choice of sports. 

Alongside the role of educational institutions, parents are also responsible for students being physically active.

Since students spend most of their waking hours either at home or in their places of study, it is normal for parents to have certain expectations from schools in keeping students active. 

These are the four ways how you can demand the participation of educational institutions to keep your child healthy:

• You can demand a dedicated physical activities class where students will learn about sports and their benefits practically as well as theoretically.
• Schools can hold discussions with parents about their children’s sports interests to align themselves accordingly.
• You can ensure that the school has a proper gymnasium and dedicated staff who can properly guide the students.
• Schools that have a meal system can incorporate healthy lunches that will provide students with the required nutrition to be active. 

The benefits of exercise for students are manifold, whether it is for their physical or mental health. A slight coordination between the roles of parents and educational organisations on this matter will help students reap all the benefits to their fullest.