Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.
- Japanese proverb
STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR WELLBEING-
If we live in cities, we find it hard to move to natural and healthy ways every day, but we can turn to exercises that have proven for centuries to be good for the body.
The Eastern disciplines for bringing body, mind and soul into balance have become quite popular in the West, but in their countries of origin they have been used for ages to promote health. Like Yoga –originally from India, though very popular in Japan and China’s Tai Chi, among other disciplines, seeks to create harmony between a person’s body and mind so that they can face the world.
Exercises offer extraordinary health benefits. They increase blood circulation, improves muscle tone and flexibility and it is also a great shield against stress and depression.
You don’t need to go to the gym every day or run marathons. As Japanese centenarians show us, all you need is to add movement to your day.
ACTIVE MIND, YOUTHFUL BODY…
There is much wisdom in the classic saying ”mens sana in corpore sano” (meaning a sound mind in a sound body). It reminds us that both mind and body are important and that the health of one is connected to the other.
Just as lack of physical exercise has negative effects on our bodies and mood, a lack of mental exercise is bad for us because it causes our neurons and neural connections to deteriorate and, as a result, reduces our ability to react to the surroundings.
This is why it’s important to give your brain a workout, especially for students who go through a lot of stress.
Israeli neuroscientist Shlomo Breznitz argues that brain needs a lot of stimulation to stay in shape. Mental training is beneficial on many levels in addition to physical exercise.
Studies have found that when you exercise, your body produces a protein called FNDC5, which is then released into the bloodstream. This then helps your brain to produce yet another protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which then prompts your body to grow new nerves and helps existing brain cells to survive – in other words, regular exercise makes your brain stronger.
Research shows that just 20 minutes of exercise before studying can improve concentration and help you focus your learning. This is because intense physical activity causes blood to flow to the brain, which then fires up your neurons and promotes cell growth, particularly in the hippocampus (which is critical for learning).
College students who visit their campus gyms are more likely to succeed in the classroom, according to data from Purdue University. Students who are motivated by fitness and wellness tend to have better time management skills, and research shows that being fit is good for the mind. It all ties together.
Leading a fit and healthy life is an attainable goal for every individual. However, they must first be provided with the means to attain them. If colleges and universities took the above-mentioned reasons and installed a gym in their premise, there is no doubt that students will witness some phenomenal improvements in their academics and personal life.
To sum it all up – we just need to add a few ingredients to our everyday habits:
§ Just go on a walk for at least twenty minutes each day.
§ Use your feet instead of an elevator or escalator.
§ Participate in social and leisure activities.
§ Replace your junk food with fruits.
§ Get the right amount of sleep.
§ Play with children or pets or join a sports team.
Be conscious of your daily routine. Detect harmful habits and replace them with more positive ones.
Let our MCM counsellors get in touch with you to select the top colleges of India…