Tag: benefits

Unexpected Benefits to Exercise

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

Whether training for a marathon or trying to shape that summer body, working out has a lot more benefits than expected. Although it is obviously physically beneficial, there are many psychological benefits to exercise as well.

According to a study by Deslandes et al. (2009), there are various studies that support the claim that exercise increases quality of life. This means that we feel a better sense of accomplishment when we work out. There are also studies done on the necessary duration of exercise in order to experience these effects.

According to a meta-analysis by Petruzello et al. (1991), there is a variety of evidence showing that exercising for at least 20 minutes per day reduces anxiety. This makes exercise especially important as college students like myself grow closer to finals week. Additionally, Hillman et al. (2008) found that physical activity improves cognition and academic performance in students.

Lastly, according to a study conducted by Taylor et al. (1985), physical activity is shown to decrease symptoms of depression, increase self-confidence, and benefit mood. These benefits, as well as those mentioned earlier, prove that if you exercise regularly, you can strengthen your body while strengthening your mind.

Regardless of one’s reasoning for exercising, there are a plethora of benefits that make working out a fair investment of time. Whether you put in 20 minutes a day or 2 hours a day, exercising will make you feel better, be stronger, and be smarter. Get that summer body ready and you’ll also be getting that fall semester brain ready.

Those are my Thoughts for Food.

Deslandes, A., Moraes, H., Ferreira, C., Veiga, H., Silveira, H., Mouta, R., … & Laks, J. (2009). Exercise and mental health: many reasons to move. Neuropsychobiology, 59(4), 191-198.

Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature reviews neuroscience, 9(1), 58.

Petruzzello, S. J., Landers, D. M., Hatfield, B. D., Kubitz, K. A., & Salazar, W. (1991). A meta-analysis on the anxiety-reducing effects of acute and chronic exercise. Sports medicine, 11(3), 143-182.

Taylor, C. B., Sallis, J. F., & Needle, R. (1985). The relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health. Public health reports, 100(2), 195.

Go Outside

“Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” -Gustav Mahler

Spring is here! As the sunshine begins to cover our planet, it is important that we take the time to enjoy it. Sunshine on the body has been shown to have many effects on the body, making time outside a highly recommended form of spending your free time.

According to a 2013 study by Guéguen and Lamy, sunshine has been shown to improve social relationships, mood, and helping behavior in individuals. So, going outside can lead to more helpful neighbors, improved relationship with your friends, and make you happier overall. Studies have also shown that sunshine can increase the amount of money that people tip at restaurants for all the waiters and waitresses out there. More studies also show that sunshine can also increase the amount of flirtatious comments that one makes. With all these benefits, why not go outside?

Since sunshine is so powerful on our behavior, spending time outside should be a daily activity that you participate in. If you are feeling down or have a crush that you aren’t sure if they like you or not, go outside. You will feel happier and your crush may be more likely to begin flirting if they like you. The sun is more helpful than you think.

Those are my Thoughts for Food.

Guéguen, N., & Lamy, L. (2013). Weather and helping: additional evidence of the effect of the sunshine Samaritan. The Journal of social psychology, 153(2), 123-126.

Guéguen, N. (2013). Weather and courtship behavior: A quasi-experiment with the flirty sunshine. Social Influence, 8(4), 312-319.

Rind, B. (1996). Effect of beliefs about weather conditions on tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26(2), 137-147.