Tevin King doing a push up with girl on his back.
As college students, we spend a lot of time studying, doing schoolwork and hanging out with friends. One thing we aren’t making time for is exercise.
Limited food choices make it very difficult to eat healthy so it’s important to keep our bodies in shape and squeeze some workouts into our busy schedules.
Exercising overtime keeps you in your best shape and always looking summer ready, but it is also great for you mentally. According to healthline.com, exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.
It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones, serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression.
Tevin King, a senior theatre and performing arts student says he works out for his personal health but also because he is in the military.
“I think it’s extremely important for African-Americans to work out due to the fact that we suffer from more health related deaths than any other race.” said King.
According to the U.S. Department of Health Services, more than three in four African-American adults are overweight or obese. This excess weight may raise your chances for developing certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.
Photo 3: Codrick Griffin working out while wearing a mask
to control his breathing
When asked how busy college students can fit exercise into their schedules, King said they could try doing push ups during TV commercials, jog to their first class instead of walking or fitting in a workout immediately after class.
Coddrick Griffin, a third year criminal justice student, is also in the military and works out everyday.
Griffin said that he also works out to stay healthy and keep his energy level high but additionally for his physical appearance.
“Ways for a busy college to fit workouts into their schedule is to workout earlier in the morning before their schedule and responsibilities start, after they end or if they have a large gap in between their duties,” said Griffin.
If you feel that you don’t have time to go to a gym for exercise, you can find easy, convenient workouts to do in your dorm. Dorm workouts can include but aren’t limited to squats, push-ups, planks or jumping jacks.
Although it may not seem like a lot, those 10-15 minutes of exercise everyday can change your life significantly. Starting a continuous workout regime can be tough, but definitely worth it.