In the last 30 years, there has been a growing number of people suffering from mental disorders. The most common among these are anxiety disorders, depression, alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.

However, there also has been an exponential growth in accessible information made available to most individuals — nowadays it becomes much easier to learn of healthier lifestyle practices and methods to bettering yourself. One perusing these practices online would quickly come across articles highlighting the benefits of exercise.

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The Implications of Physical Activity on Mental Health

To what extent does exercise affect mental health and the associated quality of one’s life? And what about the influence on one’s academic performance? 

For developers, this question boils down to whether or not physical activity can help them support the mental health of their residents. The amount of scientific literature produced in the last years indicates great evidence of an inverse relationship between physical activity/exercise and psychopathology; that is, the higher the level of physical fitness, the lower the degree of psychopathology (William, P. Morgan). 

We have to consider that we are genetically predisposed to be physically active (Keith Johnsgard) so our body was not designed to stay hours and hours in front of a screen. When we violate our genetic predispositions as regards movements, it leads to problems regarding our health and can cause mental issues.

In a study published fairly recently in Lancet (Chekroud SR), more than one million adult individuals were analysed and it was reported that people experienced an average of 3.4 days per month of non-optimal mental health If they did not exercise, those who exercise regularly reported 43% fewer bad mental health days, and the kind of exercise they practised did not have an influence, indicating that all exercise modalities are beneficial.

So, there is indeed a relationship between physical activity/exercise and mental health. And in the context of academic performances, where students are often under pressure, this relationship is important. It was reported in fact that students are at high risk of suffering from anxiety, depression and stress.

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Work Hard, Play Hard

Exercise mitigates the effect of the discomfort induced by the need to reach good academic performances; it has an immediate reduction on acute anxiety – it is called the tranquillising effect of exercise — and in some situations seems to have better effects than tranquillisers on anxiety symptoms. It also helps to alleviate more general feelings of anxiety, the so-called ‘trait anxiety.’ We can see similar effects with depression.

Ultimately, it is a powerful tool for preventing and reducing the likelihood of developing symptoms, and the reduction seems to be dose-dependent in terms of volume and intensity. And what about the impact of exercise on personality? Studies show that it helps in improving extraversion and conscientiousness and decreasing Neuroticism, which is more often associated with those who spend a long time in sedentary activities. 

Since we have established how physical activity and exercise can have positive effects on mental health and in turn on academic performance, we should consider other questions: 

• What are the ideal ‘doses’ in terms of intensity and duration? 
• What is the most effective form of exercise? 

There is evidence indicating that exercise, rather than general physical activity, has better effects on mental health and academic performance. These effects seem to be dose-dependent both in duration and intensity. It means that with longer durations and higher intensity there are better results. However, at certain doses there is a plateau in which further increases in volume and intensity do not provide additional benefits. 

On the other hand, very large volumes and extremely high intensity could also have adverse effects and should be avoided. Another interesting point of contention is related to the form of exercise; the question of which between aerobic or resistance training is more effective. Past research for the most part, focused on aerobic activities, but more recently resistance training has also been studied in-depth and it seems to offer the same benefits as endurance training. 

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Conclusions

Is physical activity beneficial for improving academic performance? Yes, activities like walking, hiking and bike commuting offer benefits to alleviating the stress and anxiety that many students experience and are negatively impacted by.

And what about exercise? Exercise seems to offer additional benefits, especially due to higher intensity. Both aerobic and resistance exercises are beneficial, no matter if they are executed independently or in combination. 

Which is the ideal intensity? From moderate to high. Extremely high intensities should be avoided.

Where exercise could be executed? Everywhere: at home, at the student residence, in a commercial gym, and outdoors. 

Which solutions does Technogym offer to students? With its wellness ecosystem, Technogym offers all the possibilities to do physical activities and exercise and track them: at home with dedicated aerobic or strength devices or by using the Technogym app that has endless sessions provided by professional trainers. They also offer student residences with the widest and most technologically-advanced range of professional exercise products in the world.