It's common for students to become more sedentary in college but there are many little things that can be done to sustain physical activity while on campus.
College students have a bad habit of not exercising or avoiding fitness. The majority of the time, the reason is because they're too busy & don't have the time. Despite students' busy schedules, there are always ways to incorporate regular exercise and it is not difficult! Keep reading to find out opportunities that students can take to be more active.
Why is Being Active Important?
Regular physical activity is important not only for your physical health but for your mind as well. The American Heart Association found that regular physical activity:
Helps with weight management
Improves brain health
Reduces health risk
Enhances physical abilities
Influences healthy habits
Increase your lifespan
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans adults need 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each week or at least 30 minutes a day with an additional 2 days of muscle strengthening to gain health benefits and achieve optimal health. Are you meeting the exercise guidelines?
Tips & Tricks:
Be active as much as possible
walk, jog, bike, skateboard, scooter & when possible avoid using electric or motorized means of transportation (e.g., cars, scooters, skateboards, etc.)
use the stairs instead of elevators & escalators
park farther away from your destination
explore the campus
Utilize college resources
Did You Know?
Education Data shows that the average cost of tuition is $9,349 for in state college students while out-of-state tuition is three times as expensive.
Whether you enjoy exercise or not, you are already paying to go to the gym since it's included into your student fees. To get your money's
worth of paying college finances you can:
go to the gym
join fitness programs or clubs
play intramural sports
Take fitness-related courses
Taking a fitness course in college can encourage and require students to be more active while receiving college credit. Meta-analyses revealed that school-based interventions are associated with positive effects on BMI and increase students' physical activity levels by giving more opportunities to be active. Studies have shown significant effects on self-concept and may be effective in increasing motivational outcomes(Demetriou, Y., Höner, O., 2012). Popular fitness classes include:
yoga
pilates
cycling
boxing/kickboxing
zumba
Schedule your workouts
Finding the time for physical activity can be difficult with class schedules, work, and other personal responsibilities but it's important to find an opening to schedule fitness even if it's in small increments at a time. Remember that doing some physical activity is better than not being active at all. How can you incorporate exercise into your schedules?
In between classes or work take 10 minutes to do small & simple exercises (e.g., stretching, calf raises, arm circles, lunges, etc.)
exercise with a friend when hanging out; having an exercise buddy can help motivate and support a physically active lifestyle
Workout in your dorm room or at home. Here are some exercises.
Planning when to workout can help create a balanced workout and make one become more consistent in fitness.
Use fitness-related technology
fitness and wellness apps can help establish routines and provide guidance for training(Kendrick, J., Duffy, L., Ye, L., & Burke, P., 2022)
wearable fitness technology like Fitbit or an Apple watch can help track physical activity throughout the day and promote physical activity by reminding oneself when to be active
Resources
American Heart Association. (2022, July 18). Why is physical activity so important for health
and well-being? American Heart Association. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/why-is-physical-activity-so-important-for-health-and-wellbeing
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, June 2). How much physical activity do
adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm#:%7E:text=Each%20week%20adults%20need%20150,Physical%20Activity%20Guidelines%20for%20Americans
Demetriou, Y., Höner, O. (2012). Physical activity interventions in the school setting: A systematic
review. Psychology of sport and exercise. 13(2), 186-196. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.11.006
Flom, C. (2015, July). Try out these 5 fitness classes when you return to school this fall.
Uloop. Retrieved from https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/166888/Try-Out-These-5-Fitness-Classes-When-You-Return-To-School-This-Fall
Hanson, M. (2022, June 12). Average cost of college & tuition. Education Data Initiative. Retrieved
from https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college
Kendrick, J., Duffy, L., Ye, L., & Burke, P. (2022). College students' motivations for using fitness
related technology. Journal of American College Health, ahead-of-print(-), 1-9. doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2071622
Walton, J. D. (2022, August 4). Popular Fitness Classes and Concepts. Retrieved
from https://www.hfe.co.uk/blog/popular-fitness-classes-and-concepts/