Want to improve your grades? Your immediate solution might be to ‘lock in’ – spend endless hours in the library, cut out distractions and keep to a strict revision schedule. But, when this involves ditching the gym and reducing hours dedicated to exercise, you might find that it’s not only your exercise goals that go off track….
Research shows that students become more efficient when they balance study with physical activity. In fact, The New York Times recently reported that American college students who consistently participated in exercise, achieved higher grades than their peers.
Still not convinced? Let’s dive deeper into why lifting weights could lift those grades:
1. Enhances Memory & Concentration
Strong scientific evidence supports the idea that exercise can strengthen your memory and concentration abilities.
For instance, it increases the production of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and noradrenaline.
These assist in converting short-term memories into long-term memory recall and aid concentration.
2. Boosts Neuroplasticity
Simply put, neuroplasticity is a process where our brain modifies to enable us to acquire skills and adapt.
Exercise enhances this process. As such, it bolsters our capacity to learn and retain information.
3. Parkinson’s Law
Never heard of it?
Parkinson’s Law is a theory which argues that if you allocate a certain amount of time to complete your revision task – it will take that long.
E.g., three-hour revision time scheduled = three hours to complete revision.
However, this can become counterproductive if the task at hand is not lengthy.
Here, exercise comes to the rescue. Why? It reduces your available study time, effectively forcing you to make your study sessions efficient!
4. Reduces Stress
As we exercise, chemical responses in our body known as ‘endorphins’ are released.
These endorphins help to reduce stress levels and elevate our sense of happiness.
All these factors contribute to a healthy, positive study lifestyle and (hopefully) underscore why exercise could be the key component to improving your results.
If you’re truly keen to raise those grades, look no further. The Edge has a 250-station gym with high quality techno gym equipment, a 25m swimming pool with a steam room and sauna, over 130 exercise classes, and more!
