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Frequent Exercise Strengthens Performance in The Classroom

by Dylan Brehm

For those who struggle to focus on assignments or pay attention in class, exercise may be the answer. Spending time in the weight room has become a daily tradition that may offer more benefits outside of the gym. Brief stints of physical activity throughout the day can make a world of difference in multiple aspects of life.

All key aspects of learning and information retention are influenced through the amount of physical activity a person gets on a daily basis. Many students across the nation struggle with procrastination, and exercising can help avoid this negative habit.

Covid-19 Influence

Once the pandemic began and brought drastic lifestyle changes alongside, many individuals turned to frequent exercise to help relieve stress. Liberty University student Caleb Prado saw a severe drop in his grades once courses initially went online. "It was such a sudden change, and the majority of my classes have been pretty hands on. I was suddenly trying to focus on schoolwork in a house with all six of my siblings running around."

Like any parents with high expectations, the Prado parents were concerned and displeased with the newfound academic struggles brought by Covid-19. "The bottom line is making my parents proud, so seeing them disappointed in me was some serious motivation to make changes." said Prado.

Due to having high risk family members Prado has spent his past two years taking online classes. "It's definitely been difficult since I somehow still managed to catch the virus twice, but those setbacks were only temporary and helped motivate me more".

A key aspect in turning that semester around and the online semesters that followed was picking up a new hobby in weight training. Prado despises virtual learning and adapting to a new reality wouldn't have been possible without daily exercise. "My parents would freak out if they heard this, but I don't think I would still be in school today."

Therapeutic Qualities

In trying times, everybody is fighting their own unseen battle. The outlets for mental health vary person to person. Everybody treats stress and anxiety differently. This stress management plays a vital role in academic performance.

Wake Tech Student Wyatt Johnson connected his somewhat smooth adjustment from high school to college in a pandemic to his passion for weight lifting. "I think everybody should do it, exercise has different benefits on everyone"

Whenever something was bothering Johnson, strength training was the best way of expelling those negative emotions, "yeah, it was definitely super therapeutic for me and all my grades would be significantly worse without it".

Another important observation made was the drastic difference in output post workout, Johnson described this as feeling like an entirely different student. "If I tackle a hard assignment post workout instead of beforehand, the gap in quality is pretty obvious."

Physical and Mental Strength

Fitness is a crucial part of the day for CJ Vagnone, having ADD makes it extremely difficult to study after a class, or just stay focused during one. Exercising helps Vagnone in more ways then he could possibly explain and bolsters his confidence inside and outside of the classroom. " If you see me everyday my sixty day transformation may not be evident, but I think the before and after photos speak for themselves in how much I've changed."

Like many others Vagnone noticed a strong increase in work ethic, "The actual level of productivity after a strong workout or just a quick jog is unmatched, and without working out I genuinely don't feel as strong mentally." Working out helps create bench markers for setting academic goals as well as personal records.

Vagnone finds it very important to push yourself to be better physically and mentally and sees no better conduit then frequent exercise. "It's pretty simple, but the quality of my work definitely varies depending on my mood so missing a daily visit to the gym can have a dramatic impact."

Vagnone has met some of his best friends in the weight room, "Yeah, I've met some great guys there that I eventually had classes with and this was just an additional factor that helped me in those classes". A positive environment in the class room is a key factor in success.