There are so many things you can be focused on when you’re studying. There’s always something going on in your personal and social life. Breakups and makeups with your partners. Losing old friends and finding new ones. Balancing your work – as you have to pay rent, tuition, or both – with your studies. And don’t forget studying itself.
Yes, your life as a student is a mess. Something that is worth discussing with sociologists and intellectuals at Nysalon.org to find ways to improve it. But aside from working on a brighter education for future students, you need to take care of yourself. Unfortunately, we often forget about our physical and mental health while studying. We think that too much is at stake, and you can compensate for everything we’ve missed later.
Often, later means too late. So, what can be done about your physical and mental state while studying? There are several options that you can think of:
- Taking care of your mental health
- Hitting the gym
Meditating is an excellent option. Just browse through the best assignment services, pick the one that works for you the best, and order a paper from it. This will give you an extra hour to meditate.
Meditation can really help your mental health, but it won’t be that beneficial for your physical health. Gladly, there are several sports activities that are not that expensive, some of them are free, that will improve both your physical and mental health. So, let’s check them out one by one.
1.Team Sports
It can be any team sport that you think you might enjoy. Pick football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, hockey, or lacrosse. Physical training is guaranteed, so you don’t have to worry about your physical health. And physical health contributes to your mental state. After all, a lack of physical activity can lead to mood swings. But there’s more to mental health than just its dependence on physicality.
Team sports are important for your mental health and social skills. Firstly, you have to focus on the game, which allows you to let go for a while of all the thoughts about exams, your ex, the paper that you need to finish, etc. Not that they are insignificant, but you need to relieve yourself from them from time to time.
Secondly, you are bound to make new friends when becoming a team member. The team environment can enhance your communication skills, improve your self-esteem, and promote companionship. People with clinical depression feel better when they are involved in team sports, so your mental health is sure to benefit from them. But that’s not all the activities that you can try, as we are only starting.
2. Swimming
Swimming allows you to build endurance. If you are a swimmer, you can take any other physical activity easier than those who don’t visit a pool on a regular basis. Swimming also enhances your muscle strength. Swimming gives you a full-body workout, as all of your muscles are working as you swim. Finally, swimming is perfect for your cardiovascular fitness.
Anxiety is a frequent companion of students. Will you pass that exam? Will you be able to pay the rent for that month? Will the assignment writers finish the paper on time? Swimming can really soothe your anxiety. According to the research conducted by the British “Just Swim” school, over 1 million adults claim that swimming helped reduce anxiety and even depression.
3. Cycling
Team sports will work if you enjoy socializing. Swimming mostly works for you individually. If you want to try out a sports activity that works both ways, you should definitely try cycling. You can join the cycling club, or you can go on exploring uncharted trails on your own. Cycling is rich when it comes to physical health benefits:
- Cardiovascular Fitness
- Enhanced Muscle Flexibility
- Boosted Joint Mobility
- Improved Posture and Coordination
- Decreased Levels of Body Fat
As for the mental health benefits, cycling is a perfect stress reliever. Cycling your way to college reduces the amounts of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a hormone responsible for stress. Thus, you become at lower risk of getting stressed out. Moreover, regular cycling leads to the release of endorphins in your body. Endorphins are often called hormones of happiness. So, regular cycling will keep you in a good mood.
4. Running
If team sports are not your thing, thalassophobia prevents you from visiting pools, and you don’t want to take care of the bike, there’s a sports activity that doesn’t require any of that. Regardless of where you live, you can get into running. You can run with a group of people, or you can just run on your own. And it gives you several physical health benefits.
Running improves your bone and muscle strength. It also works well for your cardiovascular fitness. And if you don’t like keeping a diet, running really helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Your mental health will also benefit from running. Running improves your memory and reduces depression, stress, and anxiety.
5. Walking
Well, and if none of the above works for you, you can always try walking. Yes, it may sound strange, but taking long walks has a positive effect on your physical and mental health. Just like running, it strengthens your bones and muscles, albeit at a slower pace. It allows for maintaining a healthy weight, and it prevents developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
As for mental health, walking reduces levels of anxiety and stress. It improves your mood and allows you to zoom out of your problems. Moreover, regular walks contribute to better sleep. So, if you don’t like over-pressuring your body, you should definitely try walking.
Final Thoughts
Here, you have five sports activities that can help maintain your physical and mental health as a student. Choose the one that suits you best. Don’t disregard hitting the gym, as it also contributes to your muscle flexibility and mental state. Also, some consider home chores as a sports activity, but it’s really hard to pinpoint the physical health benefits of it.
