For those who participate in college athletics or keep to a strict workout schedule, exercise seems like a given aspect of life at Furman. The Physical Activities Center circulates students and others from the community throughout the entire day. Wellness workout classes instruct students how to use machines and create workout regimens. These are the marks of a healthy lifestyle, and you may notice that your friends and roommates who workout tend to get sick less often.
Exercise has been linked to health benefits and has proven to help the immune system fight off infections. Not only will working out make your everyday life less stressful, it will fill up your schedule, make you more social, and overall improve your wellbeing in how you look and feel.
The flu season this year has been circulating with force. As a national community, we have seen multiple deaths from the flu just this year, and the strain is spreading throughout campus with intensity. More and more students are still coming back from the infirmary with a positive flu test and remain bed ridden for the next week to come.
But exercise can help prevent such infections. Increased circulation brings with it important immune cells that aid in fighting off viruses before they spread. ‘Exercise is thought to boost the circulation of the virus-fighting white blood cells known as natural killer cells,” says David Nieman of Appalachian State University. Daily activity is easy to fit into a tight schedule, whether it be by biking to class, taking the long way back to your dormitory, or even trying out those fancy bike desks in the library.
Life is hectic as a college student. You run from class to class trying to juggle group projects, tests, papers, and career paths, all the while making new connections and living away from home. The stress alone could make you sick. Exercising three to five days per week, even simply walking for thirty minutes, can improve your daily wellbeing. As soon as you put this good stress on your muscles, happy hormones flow. Boosted hormones and endorphins will leave you in a better mood and achieve that “runner’s high.”
I find my mind goes blank when I run, and there is not time to consider all of the things I have to do that day. Working out can be that ‘you’ time that everyone needs, especially living on campus when time alone is hard to find. Increased mood can be a motivator to get work done faster or even to take a break for some much needed relaxation with friends. Your studying is not going anywhere, so try to enjoy Greenville on the weekends and all it has to offer.
Even if you consider keeping away the common cold a placebo effect, your body will still experience the benefits of activity. This aids in your future health as an adult when bones weaken, bad cholesterol rises, and stress increases. Ultimately, decreased stress and the overall physical benefits, whether in the mirror or on the scale, results in happier students.