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Why it is important to find time to exercise

posted by ChickSpeak
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 8:12pm CST

I don’t know about you chicks but college life is pretty stressful and hectic for me. My week seems to be work, school, work, school, work, work, sleep, repeat and it’s so hard to fit much else into my schedule.

The problem is, because there is so much to do, if I find myself with some spare time, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym and exercise (despite the fact that I have a membership); I’d rather hang out with my friends. And here’s when it hit me!

What if I made exercise a part of my everyday busy schedule? Then I’d have to do it.

Adding an aerobics class or a sport you’ve been meaning to get the hang of to your class schedule is a great way to ensure that you will get some exercise at least twice a week. I’ve noticed that exercise classes are generally better in the morning.

If you take, for example, a dance class at 8:30 a.m. before your classes begin it, will wake you up and get you ready for the day. The downside, of course is that you have to wake up early but by the time class is over, you have energy and you won’t even remember that you were once tired.

Another reason I prefer morning classes to night classes is because after school, your drained from the day and generally you want to get a head start on your work or just pass out. Neither of which are great mindsets to force you to get up and go to an exercise class.

There are several reasons why exercise is so good for college students. It can relieve stress, help you from getting sick, and of course, can stop/prevent obesity.

Stress is a major problem in college; for the first time, a lot of us have to learn to manage our time in a better way than we did in high school. Everything is more difficult and that keeps the stress coming constantly.

Exercise can help release tension and elevate your mood so your not freaking out so much about the two tests you have to study for next week.

Aside from just being stressed out, your body actually needs the exercise to survive properly. A study at Taft University “found that students who said they exercised at least 3 days a week were more likely to report a better state of physical health and greater happiness than those who didn’t exercise.”

If none of this is convincing you that taking a class at your college may be the right way to go, here’s another substantial factor. By exercising a few times a week, you can help prevent diseases such as chronic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

As college students, a lot of us don’t have time to cook the meals that our parents used to make for us so instead we resort to unhealthy snacks like potatoes chips and dinners like greasy quesadillas and pizza. With all of that stuff in our body we need something, such as exercise to help salvage our bodies after we’ve attacked it.

Saving money has also been something high on my list now that college has rolled around and everyone’s wallets seem to be getting lighter. That’s probably the best thing about taking a PE class at your college.

On average, a dance class at a normal studio costs around $20-$30 per class. So you could spend that or you could take a class through your school that ends up being around $3 a class. Sounds like a great deal to me!

When it comes down to it, exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Whether you choose to go running out on the track or take an aerobics class or try out a sport, just remember to get out there and do something!

I’m sure most of you chicks don’t watch Nickelodeon much anymore, but as they say, “Lets just play!”

Sarah Lorsch is a Journalism and Graphic Design major at Moorpark College. She loves to dance, hang out with her friends, and spend time at the beach. She is currently learning the art of Nia as her aerobics class at Moorpark and thinks it is awesome!