URI endorses Exercise is Medicine (EIM), which is a global health initiative committed to the promotion of physical activity for optimal health. We acknowledge and believe that exercise is essential for the prevention and treatment of various medical conditions. One way that exercise enhances health and well-being is through its impact on stress. As we all know, college can be stressful- and finals week, in particular, adds extra stress on top of an already busy schedule. This post will provide you with a workout you can do from anywhere as well as tips for bringing your exercise outdoors for bonus benefits.
Do finals have you feeling stressed out?
If so, you are not alone. As assignments, exams, and deadlines pile up, students naturally tend to abandon other activities that they normally enjoy. However, now more than ever, it is important to make sure you are getting enough physical activity. Getting adequate amounts of physical activity can decrease stress¹, help with depression and anxiety², increase resilience³, increase your subjective well-being⁴, and much more.
25-minute stress-smashing workout:
Warm-up: complete each exercise for 30-60 seconds, take a 1-minute break, and then repeat.
- Walking lunges
- Jumping jacks
- Butt kicks
- Lunge into a forward kick
- Cross-body jabs in a squat position
- High knees
- Push-ups
- Burpees
- Squat into sidekick
- Plank
- Squat jump
*Do each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest between. After completing all four exercises rest for 1 minute and then repeat two more times. Rest between circuits if necessary.
This workout should take about 24 min for the warm-up, 3 rounds of both circuits, and rests times of about 30 seconds.
From my personal experience, working out between long periods of studying is a great way to get your mind off of everything. If your schedule is packed, moving your body for 10-15 minutes at a time throughout the day can be really beneficial and give you a new wave of energy.
Get Outside
As the weather is getting nicer and tempting us to get outside more, I think it is in our best interest to listen! There are many benefits to simply getting outside whether it be sitting and reading a book or going for a walk. Even spending 10 minutes sitting in nature is enough to decrease your perceived stress.⁵
How spending time in nature can positively affect your mental health:
- Improved feelings of mental well-being⁵
- Improved focus and memory⁵
- Improved mood and self-esteem⁶
These 5 tips combine the benefits of both movement and nature, so implementing them will help in the reduction of stress, especially during these stressful times. Remember, the goal for any exercise program aimed at the improvement of your mental health should be to enjoy yourself and feel like you are accomplishing something. So find a form of physical activity that you enjoy, and make it a habit to engage in it a few times a week, or as you feel is needed throughout the day.
URI will be offering outdoor fitness classes on the quad and other outdoor activities during finals week, so check out IMLeagues for more information!
Hi! I’m Katie, a senior Kinesiology major at URI. I have been a certified personal trainer through the International Sports Science Association since 2017, and I am currently the fitness, health, and wellness intern for URI campus recreation.
I believe that everyone can find their own special place in the world of fitness, depending on what their “why” is. And when a client comes to me unsure of what their “why” is, I love helping them find it along the way. For me personally, this has looked like many different things: from bodybuilding competitions, to powerlifting, to rehabilitation from an injury, and now to a central goal of overall mental and physical well-being. Aside from working out, I also love to climb mountains, hike and paint. Whatever your “why” is, the most important thing to remember is that wellness is for everyone!
Works Cited
- Bland, H. W., Melton, B. F., Bigham, L. E., & Welle, P. D. (2014). Quantifying the impact of physical activity on stress tolerance in college students. College Student Journal, 48(4), 559-568.
- Egil W. Martinsen (2008) Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression, Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 62: sup 47, 25-29, DOI: 10.1080/08039480802315640
- Emily R. Dunston, Emily S. Messina, Alan J. Coelho, Shelby N. Chriest, Martin P. Waldrip, Annika Vahk & Katrina Taylor (2020) Physical activity is associated with grit and resilience in college students: Is intensity the key to success?, Journal of American College Health, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1740229
- Zhanjia Zhang, Zhonghui He & Weiyun Chen (2020) The relationship between physical activity intensity and subjective well-being in college students, Journal of American College Health, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1790575
- Meredith, G.R., Rakow, D.A., Eldermire, E.R., Madsen, C.G., Shelley, S.P., Sachs, N.A., (2020) Minimum time dose in nature to positively impact the mental health of college-aged students, and how to measure it: a scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942
- Jo Barton and Jules Pretty Environmental Science & Technology 2010 44 (10), 3947-3955 DOI: 10.1021/es903183r