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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014
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Study: Working out correlates to higher GPA
University students work out at the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center on Wednesday. A new study released shows that working out and students' GPA might be directly related.
MADDIE FARBER
@MaddieFarberUDK
in a recent USA Today College Article, a study released by Michigan State University showed that hitting the gym just might boost students' GPAs and enhance their chances of graduating.
The study, which included 4,843 freshmen, observed the differences in the GPAs of those who bought gym memberships compared to those who did not. Out of the 1,138 students who bought a membership, their cumulative GPAs were .13 points higher on average.
The study also showed that after two completed years, 89 percent of students with a membership were still enrolled in school, compared to 85 percent of those who did not have one.
Overall, the study determined that making time for exercise might be beneficial to college students' academic success.
Madison Wolfe, a junior from Olathe, said she makes time for her rigorous workout schedule and it has benefited her while in college.
"Just like anything else I do. I plan my workouts into my schedule. I either workout in the mornings before class or after my classes are done for the day," she said. "Working out has definitely helped my GPA. I notice a significant difference in how I deal with studying and stress of school if I haven't been working out like I normally do."
Wolfe has a five-day split training schedule where she focuses on one muscle group each day. She said weight training is her escape and the time of day where she can clear her head and think of nothing but bettering herself.
"We've got such a great rec
and it's so convenient," Wolfe said. "It's not hard to throw your tennis shoes, shorts and a T-shirt in your backpack and head in for a workout after class. The hardest part about going to the gym is going to the gym. I challenge people to try and workout before class. You'd be so surprised at how focused you are during class."
Kelsey Fortin, a health edu
cator at the Health Education Resource Office, said she was not surprised by the results of the study. She explained this was not a new idea and there have multiple research studies that have investigated the connection between physical activity and the brain.
"For a while now, exercise has been known to provide physical benefits along with
improvements in mood, stress levels and energy levels," Fortin said.
Fortin said although there are many different aspects that can impact a student's GPA, she agreed both exercise and extracurricular activities can have positive effects. She explained that since the lack of time is the number one perceived barrier to exercise,the
link between exercise, extracurricular activities and time management can contribute to a higher GPA.
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When it comes to extracurricular activities, "It may be that students feel acceptance and commitment to the groups that they are a part of, which leads to a strong connection to the University as a whole," Fortin said.
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Participating in clubs or anything that gets you away from the mainstream of academia can help you focus better," he said. "Any kind of activity can help people with academic performance. Sporadic participation isn't as effective as it is for those students who are regular about their exercise."
Other than working out, Wolfe is also a member of Chi Omega, participates in Student Mobilization and is a teaching assistant for an anatomy lab. Wolfe said she believes all of these extracurricular activities have kept her stress levels down and helped keep her GPA at a high level.
"I encourage students to find the type of physical activity they enjoy. To many students, exercise means lifting weights and running, but these simply aren't the only forms of physical activity," she said. "If students are able to engage in a form of physical activity they enjoy, they will be more likely to stick with it." Fortin said.
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Douglas Dechairo, director and chief of staff at Watkins Health Center, agreed that regular participation in extracurricular activities or exercise is beneficial, and encourages students to find something that is exciting for them and to do it constantly.
"Another stress relieving thing I do is something that doesn't have to do with school, but it's fun. I have a bow, so I love shooting. It's super relaxing and an awesome stress reliever, too," she said.
— Edited by Kelsie Jennings
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