The Importance of Exercise: Campus Edition
By Halimat Sunmonu
“Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley
Gbemi never gets tired of staring at her slim and fit body, even the mirror hates to see her coming. To everyone and Gbemi, hit the gym for what? Who goes to the gym when fit? But, beyond the mirror and what everyone else can see, Gbemi is not “all that”. She struggles with little tasks like fetching water and walking up the stairs, walking long distances. In hindsight, she saw that she wasn't right all along, having thought that exercising is for plus-sized individuals, she began to reevaluate her decisions.
Exercise is a concise and goal-oriented physical movement that is geared towards improving or maintaining physical fitness, overall health and well-being. It is important to note that exercise is not just body movement, but focused and bears an end goal in mind. It targets specific aspects of health like strength, balance, flexibility among others. All exercises are physical activities, but not all physical activities are exercises.
There are different types of exercises each serving different purposes. Aerobic exercise builds cardiovascular health. Strength training builds the body muscles, increases metabolism through weight lifting, and body weight exercise. Flexibility exercises improve range of motion and reduce stiffness and prevent injuries. An example of this is yoga. Another type of exercise is Balance and stability exercise.
“Exercise is medicine. Literally. Just like a pill, it can prevent and treat diseases.” – Dr. Robert Sallis.
Exercise is very important in the maintenance of cardiovascular health because it strengthens the heart muscles, increases blood circulation and lung capacity. Exercise also regulates insulin sensitivity and stimulates release of endorphins. It is of great importance to mental health because it enhances moods, reduces stress, and improves sleep quality. Exercise is a great tool for mental health stability, especially as students, because you never know what a run or walk does to your mind. It's a common saying among students that walks clear the head, therefore enhancing moods.
There are various physical advantages of engaging in exercises: It helps manage body weight. Exercise does not only help reduce weight, there are specific exercises that are recommended for weight gain. Whatever your body goal is, it is achievable with exercise, a good diet and a healthy lifestyle. It also reduces the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke and some cancers. The importance of exercises go beyond the present, it builds the body for long-term effects. On the social side, exercise builds discipline and routine. To maintain a good exercising habit, discipline comes to play, because it keeps exercise going. In the long run, it builds a consistent spirit which manifests in other areas of life. Exercise also improves body image and self-esteem, bringing confidence to one's body.
There are different limitations to exercising for students, mainly because of tight schedules, lack of energy to move the body. Sometimes, we just don't want to break a sweat. To effectively carry out exercises despite the tight student schedule, discipline and determination is very important. Knowing the kind of exercises needed based on goals will give an understanding of how it can be fitted into one's schedule. Sometimes, an evening run, or a few stretches does the work. If you're working on flexibility, yoga is the most common example. It can be carried out anywhere, as long as you have a mat. A few push-ups in the morning before classes, gym visits in the evening, skipping and others are different exercises that keeps a person fit and doesn't require much. Regardless of body size and weight, exercise is very important and is key to healthy living. Cultivating exercise habits helps the physical, mental, emotional and social life. Start small, and be consistent.
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