{"id":105,"date":"2017-11-09T21:05:24","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T21:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/blueprintgsc\/chapter\/exercise\/"},"modified":"2023-04-03T16:43:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T16:43:46","slug":"exercise","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/blueprintforsuccess\/chapter\/exercise\/","title":{"raw":"Exercise","rendered":"Exercise"},"content":{"raw":"
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\u201cEvery morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: when the sun comes up, you\u2019d better be running.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

- Dan Montano<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Regular Exercise:\u00a0Health for Life<\/h3>\nThe importance of getting regular exercise is probably nothing new to you. The health benefits are well known and established: Regular physical activity can produce long-term health benefits by reducing your risk of many health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and it can also increase your chances of living longer, help you control your weight, and even help you sleep better.\n\nAs a busy college student, you may be thinking, I know this, but I don\u2019t have time! I have classes and work and a full life!<\/em> What you may not know is that\u2014precisely because you have such a demanding, possibly stressful schedule\u2014now is the perfect time to make exercise a regular part of your life. Getting into an effective exercise routine now will not only make it easier to build healthy habits that you can take with you into your life after college, but it can actually help you be a more successful student, too. As you\u2019ll see in the section on brain health, below, exercise is a powerful tool for improving one\u2019s mental health and memory\u2014both of which\u00a0are especially important\u00a0when you\u2019re in school.\n\nThe good news is that most people can improve their health and quality of life through a modest increase in daily activity. You don\u2019t have to join a gym, spend a lot of money, or even do the same activity every time\u2014just going for a walk or choosing to take the stairs (instead of the elevator) can make a difference. The following video describes how much activity you need.\n

Video: Physical Activity Guidelines - Introduction<\/em><\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/lEutFrar1dI<\/a>\n

Fight or Flight<\/h3>\nOur bodies have an automatic \u201cfight or flight\u201d reaction when we perceive a threat. Fighting or running is physical exercise and the result is metabolizing our excessive stress hormones and bringing our bodies and minds back to a more relaxed state. Even though we do not suffer from the same threats cavemen and cavewomen incurred many years ago, we still perceive threats and we still suffer from stress. Exercise has many physical and mental benefits in addition to lowering stress.\n\nRegular physical activity is one of the best things you can do to be healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its benefits include: controlling weight, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, reducing risk for type two diabetes, reducing risk of cancer, strengthening bones and muscles, improving mental health and mood, increasing chances of living longer[footnote]\u201cPhysical Activity and Health,\u201d Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018, http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physicalactivity\/everyone\/health\/index.html<\/a>.[\/footnote]. One assignment I give my students is to have them record all food and drinks consumed in one week, along with keeping records of how much exercise and how many hours of sleep take place. Some students know exactly what they are putting into their body and how they are treating it. But most are surprised at how little one or more of these important aspects are sufficient. Try it. Think of it as an opportunity to see what you actually put into your body, how much exercise and rest you give it.\n\nOur bodies are more prone to getting sick if they are not well taken care of. Getting sick in the middle of an academic term can have devastating effects on the academic performance.\n\nA much better way to go (as I painfully learned) is to make a schedule, stick to it, prepare and review periodically, get adequate sleep, eat well, and be on an exercise plan.\n\nFor optimal concentration levels, work performance and test scores, proper nutrition and adequate sleep have a large effect. My personal opinion is that exercise helps clear the mind, which is so important in our current generations' overwhelming bombardment of information around us.\n

Physical Fitness and Types of Exercise<\/span><\/h3>\nPhysical fitness is a state of well-being that gives you sufficient\u00a0energy\u00a0to perform daily physical activities without getting overly tired or winded. It also means being in good enough shape to handle unexpected emergencies involving physical demands\u2014that is, if someone said, \u201cRun for your life!\u201d or you had to rush over and prevent\u00a0a child from falling, you\u2019d be able to do it.\n\nThere are many forms\u00a0of exercise\u2014dancing, rock climbing, walking, jogging, yoga, bike riding, you name it\u2014that can help you become physically fit. The major types are described below.\n

Aerobic Exercise<\/span><\/h4>\nAerobic exercise increases your heart rate, works your muscles, and raises your breathing rate. For most people, it\u2019s best to aim for a total of about thirty minutes a day, four or five days\u00a0a week. If you haven\u2019t been very active recently, you can start out with five or ten minutes a day and work up to more time each week. Or, split up your activity for the day: try a brisk ten-minute walk after each meal. If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise more than thirty minutes a day. The following are some examples of aerobic exercise:\n