How to Improve Academic Performance with Physical Activity
Putting academic performance together with physical activity may seem like a conflict of interests. After all, there is a long held stereotype (a false one) that athletes are just 'dumb jocks' and the smart kids are only 'book worms.' The reality is that academic performance and physical activity do go together, and work best together.
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Instructions
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Fully ingrain in your mind the connection between physical activity and academic performance.
When the brain has been 'exercised' for long periods of time a certain type of mental fatigue sets in lowering academic performance and giving the impression of low physical energy. Often the best antidote for this mental fatigue and resulting physical lethargy is exercise. Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain and all parts of the body, releases endorphins which elevate mental mood, and creates a mental state of a sense of well being and hope. Studies continually show that academic performance increases with regular physical exercise.
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Schedule regular cardiovascular workouts to break up long stretches of academic work.
Many full time students find it helpful to switch the typical morning or evening workout routine to an early afternoon workout. Academic performance drops in the mid afternoon as lunch weighs on the body and drowsiness sets in. Physical activity raises the heart rate, pumps adrenaline and endorphins in the body, and puts the body back into performance mode.
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Stay hydrated during and after physical activity to improve academic performance.
One of the down sides of physical activity is that it can reduce your ability to think, focus, remember, or analyze information if you become dehydrated. The cheapest and most effective brain enhance you can give yourself is to drink plenty of water, and to be sure you have replaced the fluids lost during physical activity.
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Insert brief episodes of physical activity into long stretches of academic performance.
Too many classes have failed to recognize the need for physical movement to stimulate brain activity. A short walk, a stretch break, a few situps and push-ups, or some other physical break rapidly increases the brains ability to focus and perform.
* See more tips on academic performance and physical activity below.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep sports from over running academic performance by scheduling study time, study groups, and major assignments on places in the calendar where sporting events are not scheduled.
Avoid participating in too strenuous of physical activity immediately before tests and quizzes to avoid exhaustion. Balance between physical activity and academic performance is key.
Keep healthy snacks available for study and reading periods. Carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, celery, and other crunchy or sweet forms of fruits and vegetables refuel the body and the brain at the same time. And they get rid of the munchies.
See related articles above for more on academic performance.
Resources
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