The Importance of Exercise
Juggling homework, extracurriculars, college applications, friends, Instagram, Elden Ring, and the countless other things taking up students’ attention means that physical activity can often fall by the wayside. High school is hectic! But precisely because there is so much stress and expectation, exercise is crucial to high schoolers’ success and happiness. Let’s explore how.
Better Sleep Habits, and Better Focus
There is perhaps nothing harder than staying awake during that first period class on a Wednesday morning. Not only does the school day start at an inopportune time for high school students’ circadian rhythms, few students sleep enough between the amount of work they have, and the desire to stay up late to catch up with friends, watch TV or TikTok, read for fun, or do whatever else the school day doesn’t leave time for. This lack of sleep has widespread ramifications for students. Sleep deprivation hampers our ability to focus and retain information. It also makes us unhappy!
Physical activity can help students fall asleep and stay asleep more easily. Studies have shown that physical activity and exercising in general helps create improved sleep habits. It becomes easier to push aside stressors and put down your phone when your body is trying to heal itself after a long afternoon of soccer, or even a quick run on the treadmill. This improved sleep allows students to focus more in class, retain more information, and, crucially, spend less time on their work. Instead of struggling to do thirty minutes worth of work in one sleep deprived hour, they can actually do it in thirty minutes thanks to their increased focus.
Opportunities to Enhance Your College Application
For some, exercising is as simple as going to the gym every other day. Other students, however, need the structure of a sports team to help them stay active. Fortunately, sports can be an enjoyable way to boost one’s physical health and college application all at the same time. Most assume that you need to be a star athlete for sports to positively affect your application. While that’s certainly true for those hoping to be recruited, schools do actively look to put together classes with diverse interests. For example, students who love frisbee, and demonstrate commitment and leadership on their frisbee team, offer something to a student body. They bring something to campus distinct from what a musician or mathlete does. They will most likely help maintain a club at a given college that adds to the wide range of activities available at that school’s campus. No one is getting into school simply because they play frisbee, but demonstrating commitment to sincere passions can only help a student’s application.
A Break From Screens
Whether it’s playing video games, watching TV, or simply scrolling on social media, or reading an article, screens offer students numerous respites from their work. Unfortunately, a lot of that work takes place on screens, even with school back in person. That amount of screen-time negatively impacts sleep, encourages inactivity, can cause headaches and eyestrain, and often leaves students overstimulated. Bombarding ourselves with content 24/7 isn’t good for any of us. It’s crucial that students find ways to take a break from their phones and computers so that they can rest their minds. This kind of relaxation helps kids stay focused when they do have to work. It can also be an important tool for one’s mental health, by avoiding stress, and giving time and space for consideration of one’s feelings about school, friends, family, and whatever else may be on one’s mind.
A Great Way to Build a Routine
Students who don’t have structured commitments after school can sometimes struggle to organize themselves effectively. The school day leaves few opportunities for executive decision making: students are told where to be and when. As a result, it can be tricky to figure out what to do and when upon getting home.
Whether it’s playing on a sports team or going to the gym, consistent physical activity can offer students a way to help schedule the rest of their time once the school day ends. This structure in turn can help students better organize when and how to do their work, which means they can spend less time on it, and more time doing the things that make them happy.
At Tutoring Service of New York, we always encourage students to build healthy habits that allow them to achieve their absolute best. The keys to academic success are not all-nighters and constant studying. Working efficiently and effectively is crucial to sustainable success. An unhappy student with an imbalanced schedule will often find themselves struggling more than they would if they left themselves more time to care for themselves. Academic and extracurricular rigor are, of course, the most important elements of any student’s college admissions process. But without time for exercise and self care, students will find it a lot more difficult to meet the demands that their academic lives place upon them.
As always, you can schedule a free consultation, or reach out to us by phone or email to learn more about our services, approaches, and rates. You can also enroll in lessons directly on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!