Written by Rahul Koonantavida and Edited by Mehr Kaur Bawa
As the weather gradually gets warmer and the cold of winter starts to dissipate, we should consider embracing the outdoors. As college students, it can be very easy to become preoccupied with school, entirely forgetting about the world outside of our classrooms. But why does that matter? College students, amidst the high pressure environment of college, can accidently start to ignore their physical and mental health. This often leads to a slippery slope of negative emotions that can be very difficult to escape from. The solution? Exercise! A variety of studies have shown that consistent exercise provides significant health benefits in both the mental and physical domains. It is important for people to take care of and prioritize their health, and exercise is a fun and effective way to do that.
The first area in which exercise offers profound benefits is mental health. A study from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases found evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness (like running, swimming, or biking) promotes brain health, specifically in regards to gray matter. Gray matter constitutes the cell body component of brain tissue, and its presence is directly correlated with skilled cognitive abilities. An important point to consider here is that exercise not only influences physical health but also cognitive ability. Overall, the study determined that consistent physical activity decelerates the decline of gray matter in the brain, combating negative cognitive changes like the development of Alzheimer’s disease [1]. Another study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital found that any sort of physical activity contributes to a lower risk of depression. For example, even just 15 minutes of cardiovascular activity a day has a positive contribution to your health, reducing your risk of depression [2]. Still, something to consider is that every person is different, and more research still needs to be done on how to tailor exercise for people at different risk levels of developing depression.
In addition to mental benefits, exercise contributes to your physical health. A national study conducted by the University of Leeds found that walking and cycling to work is linked to fewer heart attacks across a sample of 43 million adults. After controlling for heart disease risk factors such as smoking and being overweight, researchers determined that people who walked and cycled to work were 1.7% less likely to have a heart attack [3]. As well as providing benefits in the short term, exercise pays off for the rest of your life. A study from the European Society of Cardiology found that even after the age of 60, consistent exercise is the best way to combat any sort of cardiovascular problems. People who exercised throughout the week were 27% less likely to develop cardiovascular problems [4].
Cardiac health is directly improved through consistent exercise. As students on a college campus, we have much to take away from this; walking or biking to class is a great way to exercise and keep yourself healthy amidst the chaos of school. In addition to providing short-term results, exercise pays off for the rest of your life. Evidently, the benefits of exercise are varied and many, so one of the best things we can do to work towards a happier, healthier life is to just get outside and exercise!
References:
- Wittfeld, K., Jochem, C., Dorr M., Schminke, U., Glaser, S., Bahls, M., Markus, M., Felix, S., Leitzmann, M., Ewert, R., Bulow, R., Volzke, H., Janowitz, D., Baumesiter, S., Grabe, Hans. (2020). Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Gray Matter Volume in the Temporal, Frontal, and Cerebellar Regions in the General Population. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 95:44–56.
- Choi, K.W., Chen, C., Stein, M.B., Klimentidis, Y.C., Wang, M., Koenen, K.C., Smoller, J.W. (2019). Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships Between Physical Activity and Depression Among Adults. JAMA Psychiatry, 76:399–408.
- Munyombwe, T., Lovelace, R., Green, M., Norman, P., Walpole, S., Hall, M., Timmis, A., Batin, P., Brownlee, A., Brownlee, J., Oliver, G., Gale, C.P. (2019). Association of prevalence of active transport to work and incidence of myocardial infarction: A nationwide ecological study. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
- Kim, K., Choi, S., Hwang, S.E., Son, J.S., Lee, J., Oh, J., Park, S.M. (2019). Changes in exercise frequency and cardiovascular outcomes in older adults. European Heart Journal, 0:1–10.