There’s an old Roman proverb that indicates a direct correlation between a healthy body and a sound mind. In our time, however, there’s a wide misconception that athletes are not the most successful students which kind of contradicts the ancient Roman wisdom. If these few words have put you in a conundrum, you might consider putting both theories under the test and take on jogging as the simplest form of physical exercise and track your academic progress to establish the truth.
Nevertheless, before you put on your tracksuit and hit the local park, let’s see what the science says about the influence of jogging on learning abilities.
Improved concentration and self-confidence
Focus is of paramount importance on our ability to learn as it allows us to dedicate our full attention to the subject at hand. A recent study conducted among 210 students of medicine shows that those who took on recreational activities such as jogging felt more confident in the face of their college challenges. Furthermore, the participants engaged in physical exercise scored a higher percentage of above-average marks, while their counterparts noted average and passing marks.
While filling in the reports, students reported that their focus was improved, which enabled them to be more efficient while learning. The fact that with each passing week they could run faster and longer improved their self-confidence and sense of personal progress, so they approached each test and exam with more self-belief.
Stress relief
Coping with academic challenges like essays, exams, homework, and research papers requires a lot of time and effort. Pushing our minds through all these tasks can put us under a lot of stress, especially when deadlines get close. Some students turn to online help services, many of which hire international staff which enables them to write essays for Aussies as well as provide homework to Russian or American students.
Jogging is also an astonishing stress reliever, as it allows us to free our minds of all the pressure and just concentrate on our breathing while we rest our eyes over the landscape. When our mind is under a lot of stress, we aren’t able to adopt new knowledge because our cognitive function is diminished. Studies show that people who regularly run possess higher cognitive flexibility, which means they can easily adapt versatile knowledge and take on different intellectual tasks.
Feeding our brain with oxygen
Oxygen is an essential element in our cellular metabolism process, it improves our cellular growth, therefore benefits our entire body. The more oxygen we pump in our brain the better it works, improving our overall body functions. As a result, our cognitive functions improve, allowing us to switch between diverse mental challenges and come up with various solutions to different problems.
When we jog for a certain amount of time, our lung capacity improves, which allows more oxygen to get into our bloodstream. The positive effects of jogging on our pulmonary system are long-term, and the results keep improving as we maintain regular exercise. In extent, physical and psychological wellbeing induce higher levels of dopamine, which keeps us calm and more eager to face academic tasks that college life places before us.
Improving motivation
Disregarding where you come from, what’s your social status, or any other personal trait, some basic human characteristics are the same for Australians, Americans, Germans, or any other people anywhere in the world. Competitiveness is one of the essential human traits, forcing us to do better than ourselves and our peers.
The lack of motivation is often the main reason why students fail at certain classes or decide to procrastinate when they should be engaged. With each passing jogging session, you’ll notice your results improving and your natural impulse to do better will kick in. Once you restart your motivation and self-confidence, it will easily transcend from physical activities to your academic endeavours.
Conclusion
As we can see, jogging has a massive influence on our ability to learn, as well as on our physical state. It’s a simple form of exercise that doesn’t require any special conditions; all you have to do is get out and start running. It doesn’t matter if you take on jogging on your won or in the company of your friends, although group running sessions are an amazing motivator. Now that you know what science has to say about it, it’s time to get out and do your research.
Guest post: Joshua Robinson is a freelance content writer dedicated to topics that include college essay writing, student lifestyle, and health. As a writer, Joshua tends to deliver practical value to his readers and applicable pieces of advice. With each new post, Joshua seeks to inspire his readers and expand their knowledge using trusted resources and the latest studies.
