It’s finals season and you’ve been studying for three days straight. You need a break, but feel guilty leaving the library or doing anything that isn’t school-related.

 

A volunteer at the Wellness Education Centre on Western’s campus, who requested to remain anonymous, explained that during midterms and finals is when students’ health and wellness is at its lowest.

 

Students often neglect exercising or healthy eating habits during finals, which in turn can lead to more anxiety and stress, the volunteer said.

 

The volunteer also said, “It’s extremely important for students to not only take care of their mind, but also their body during these high-pressured times.”

 

Studies show that exercise not only helps you physically, but also mentally. According to a journal from Psychology Today: “How Your Mental Health Reaps the Benefits of Exercise," said that “exercise is well known to stimulate the body, to produce endorphins and enkephalin, the body’s natural feel-good hormones which can make problems seem more manageable.”

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“I exercise to help relieve stress,” said Hailey Foreman, fourth year Western student. “When I work out, I feel like a new person, it really helps to clear my mind.”

 

The Mental Health Guide is a platform to educate individuals on all things related to mental health. The specific section on exercise, in relation to stress, explained that exercise releases endorphins in the brain, physical activity helps to relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body.

 

“Since the body and mind are so closely linked, when your body feels better, so, too, will your mind.”

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Psychiatrist Madhuka Trivedi said that “exercise and the brain are strongly correlated.” If students participate in three or more 45-minute intervals of exercise throughout the week, it can help treat anxiety and depression, common feelings during exam time.

 

“If I’m lazy during exam time I’ll even just go walk for a bit,” said Foreman. “It just gives me a break from studying so that when I start doing work again, I feel more productive and focused.”

 

Foreman also mentioned that the university’s gym isn’t as busy during exam time, which further indicates students prioritize their studying over taking care of their bodies. 

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“I’ll usually go to the library all day during finals and finish off the day by working out,” said Foreman. “It’s really important that I plan it into my schedule for the day, otherwise I won’t go to the gym at all.”

 

Exercise not only helps with one’s physical health, but it can also influence positive academic performance, said an article from the Nature Reviews Neuroscience of: “Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition.”

 

It said that physical activity was related to “perceptual skills, intelligence quotient, achievement, verbal tests, math, memory and academic readiness.” 

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One study found that an individual who went for a jog or walk for 20 minutes, two or three times a week, their scores improved on cognitive test. While the scores fell if participants didn't exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Karli Malchiondo, a registered Holistic Nutritionist, said that when she was in school, exercising before an exam improved her test scores. “The day before an exam I take a break to work out for at least an hour,” she said. “When I would come back to my notes later on, I actually knew things more than before.”

 

She was surprised by this as she is normally the type of person to cram right before an exam. She also said that working out improves memory and brain health as it increases your heart rate, which promotes blood flow and oxygen to the brain. “I do it every single time now, and I actually think it effects how I do in school,” she said. 

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Exercise decreases cortisol levels, stress hormones, while the brain releases serotonin, the happy hormone. “Which obviously just makes you feel better all around,” said Malchiondo.

 

“Working out can make you feel more energized, less irritable and helps you focus more.” 

 

Malchiondo also explained that eating a healthy diet can help improve school performance. “A person’s food intake would specifically have an impact on their learning, while exercise would help them feel good all around,” she said. Taking a b-vitamin supplement and eating unsaturated fats can help with one’s overall memory and cognitive function, she also explained. 

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Foreman agreed. “When I plan to work out, I generally eat a healthier diet as well,” she said. “I feel bad eating unhealthy knowing that I just worked out, it almost defeats the purpose.”

 

The Wellness Education Centre on campus provides helpful links with information on how to stay healthy and to take care of your body.

 

Foreman said that she believes exercise, healthy eating and mental health go hand in hand. “When you’re working out, you’re there focusing on yourself and not thinking about anything,” she said. “It’s the one time I really get to put my phone away and escape my stress, especially school-related stress.”

 

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Exercise appears to be just as good as existing pharmacological interventions to help with anxiety and depression, that will overall help students do better on their exams. The positive correlation between exercise and school performance has influenced elementary schools to include physical activity in order for students to stay focused throughout the day, said an article on the Spark Blog. 

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“As exercise increases oxygen flow to the brain, students are able to concentrate and pay attention more, while also improving classroom behaviour,” said the article.

 

Busy individuals that try to incorporate their daily dose of exercise say:

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It may not always seem possible to include that much physical activity during finals season, but it’s important to try your best even by just doing something small.

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Foreman explained that when she really lacks the time or resources, she will use her surroundings to come up with exercises to do on the spot. Some of her favourites included "textbook squats, where you hold as many of your heaviest textbooks and squat as low as you can," she said. "I also love doing caf raises, tricep dips and sometimes even running on the spot or jumping jacks to get my heart rate up."

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What appears to be little to no exercise, if repeated a couple times every few hours it can add up, Foreman added.

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The Mental Health Help Guide recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week or two 15-minute or three 10-minute exercise sessions to get the full benefits.

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Malchiondo agrees. "When my friends or family tell me they're stressed, or have a lot to do, I only have one recommendation for them. And it's get your body moving," she said. "You won't regret it."

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