Exercise Could Help Students Ace College Exams

There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that exercise is good for your brain. It can lower dementia risk, increase focus and attention, and boost your mind’s “fertiliser,” brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

And new research from the University of Edinburgh has found that students who regularly participate in their sports clubs got an average 8% higher final exam result than those who didn’t.

Staying physically active was linked to wellbeing, belonging, and lower stress, too.

In this research, conducted by the University’s Sport and Active Wellbeing team, 93.5% of students who participated in over 150 minutes of activity a week (the WHO guidelines) got a first or second-class degree.

This finding came after looking at student results and fitness group participation across five years.

Students who were physically active were also more likely to say they had a sense of belonging (81%), and said activity helped to reduce stress (74%).

This is not the only research to find a link between physical exercise and academic success.

In schools, getting enough exercise is especially associated with better results in English and maths (partly because, researchers say, these rely heavily on “efficient and effective executive function,” which exercise helps).

Exercise can still help with your focus and attention, and has even been linked to better work performance.

Some research has shown that physically active people do better in the office the very next day after working out. And those benefits seemed to continue in the long term, too.

Another study even found that physcially active people tend to earn 6-10% more money than their less sendentary peers.

That’s partly because it seemed to reduce the number of sick days taken and strengthen connections between people.

Don’t mind me, just reaching for my running shoes…