How Exercise Can Improve Your Study Skills

Take a Deep Dive into How Exercise Can Improve Your Study Skills!

We have all had those days when our eyelids drooped, and our brain felt fuzzy and drained, only to remember that we still have a lot of studying to do. Oh, joy! So, as diligent learners, we lay out our textbooks and notes and try anything we can think of to shake off those mental cobwebs – mostly gulp energy boosters that promise us a set of wings or grab a cup of coffee to help us pull an all-nighter. Sounds familiar? Well, it seems like you could use a break outside or in the gym. Yes, you heard that right! Studying and physical activity go hand-in-hand! And in this 10-minute read, Quizplus takes a deeper dive into how exercise can improve your study skills.

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Ways regular physical activity improves your study efforts

Keeps your memory sharp

Research says working out is very good for the brain – the body's command center. Namely, it stimulates the release of many different growth factors that help grow new and repair existing brain cells. These processes occur in the part of our brain responsible for memory, the hippocampus, making its memory centers, just like our muscles, more fit. Therefore, whether you’re attending a lecture or studying for an exam, you should be able to take in and retain new information much more easily just by doing some regular exercise. 

Heightens your focus

Next, exercise can improve your study skills by helping you keep your mind focused. And there’s a growing body of studies supporting this. Researchers found a connection between physical activity and higher GPSs in college students. New "challenges" like physical activity, social opportunities, and improved learning stimulate new cell growth in the brain, improving your concentration and focus and, ultimately, boosting your work productivity and academic success.

Increases your energy levels
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It might sound strange, but moving more can make us feel less tired. Exercising spurs our bodies to produce more mitochondria. These are the so-called "powerhouses" of cells that generate fuel out of glucose from the food we eat and oxygen from the air we breathe. More mitochondria equal more energy supply.

​Exertion can also improve oxygen circulation within your body, which further supports energy production. Thus, your body can function better and use its energy more efficiently. Finally, exercise increases your hormone levels, giving your body a boost and making you feel more energized. In other words, you’ll feel more alert, attentive, and less sleepy. And that's precisely what you need to pull those long hours.

Calms that roller coaster of emotions

Being a student isn’t easy. For all the highs of good grades, there’s also the stress of never-ending workloads, homework assignments, deadlines, extra-curricular activities, social life, and perceived parental pressure. So, if you’re feeling stressed out, a short fitness circuit or a 20-minute walk can significantly affect your mood, stress levels, and social interactions in a positive way. These activities release the so-called ‘feel-good’ chemicals that act as stress relievers and happiness boosters.

​​Tips for working out during the exam season

We’ve touched upon the science behind how exercise can improve your study skills. There's only one problem: finding the necessary time and getting started.
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We know, we know. As if you didn’t already have enough on your plate. And now we're telling you to squeeze in an hour of cardio, too? But, although it may seem like a huge ask, it’s possible. What’s more, it will make your efforts even more effective. So, instead of seeing it as a chore, try to look at it as a study boost.

Workout before or after studying
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You can leverage a brain health boost if you schedule your walk/run/swim cycle right before your study session or a few hours after. Exercising before studying helps prepare the brain for inhaling new information and makes retaining it much easier. On the other hand, including some physical activity after your study session will boost the production of biochemicals in your body and brain that are linked to mental function.

Combine exercise and studying
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During college, it can seem like there are never enough hours in a day. This makes us prioritize specific tasks and leave the other ones gathering dust. But what if you can combine them? For instance, you can try listening to recorded lectures while running, reading your study notes while walking on a treadmill, etc.

Wake up earlier
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This may be a tough habit to get into for some people. But you can always try doing it gradually. For instance, go to bed and wake up half an hour earlier than the day before. Then, make it an hour. Once you’re used to it, you’ll have a whole extra hour to get your day off to an energized start.

Try aerobic exercise
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Experts agree that regular aerobic exercise is particularly effective in helping the brain function. It activates the heart and sweat glands, increasing the size of the hippocampus, the part of your brain that plays a vital role in verbal memory and learning. Furthermore, it helps the brain control responses to stress, reduces inflammation, and increases your resistance to oxidative stress. 

Ask for help
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Not knowing where to start is challenging. So, if you’re just starting and feel you'd benefit from the additional instruction, working with a pro may be a good idea. An expert team of fitness trainers from Dubai says that hiring a personal trainer is a surefire bet for beginners to learn all about the basics of exercise and nutrition that will help them stay healthy and fit.

​We are not born with this knowledge; we often don't know how to create a meal plan, design a complete program that best works for us, or fit it into our busy schedule. So, hiring a professional can make the task of learning less overwhelming.

Start moving

We understand how easy it is to let your health and fitness slide down to the bottom of your to-do list during the exam season. However, studies show substantial benefits to introducing some physical exercise into your daily routine. It can give you that much-needed energy boost to make your study sessions highly productive and effective, leading to better academic performance.
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Now you've learned how exercise can improve your study skills and how to go about it. The only thing left to do is to get up and start moving! Good luck with your exams!