Everyone knows that Hopkins students are busy beyond belief. Between the countless hours spent studying for exams that have grading distributions that resemble downhill skiing slopes, club activities, research and the million other things our schedules are packed with, many students may find the time lacking for including physical exercise in their routines.
However, that hour spent on the treadmill, track or in the weight room ought to be included in every Hopkins student’s weekly, if not daily, schedule.
Not only will it benefit you in the here and now, but also for the rest of your life.
Exercise should not just be a thing that you can shrug off and fit in simply whenever you have a sudden urge to do so — it should be as regular as going to classes.
For thousands of years across the world, exercise has always been considered a vital component of education. One look in the history of education will show us how intellectual pursuits have always been inseparable from physical training.
In Ancient Times, the Hwarang of Korea and young men in Athens; in modern times the Rhodes Scholarship (which includes athletic ability among its criteria) and the fact that many universities require students to take for-credit physical education classes (such as Cornell).
One of the more well-known legends is that of Bodhidharma in 6th century China. When he arrived in China to spread, he found the monks of the Shaolin Temple to be pursuing meditation and deep philosophical study.
However, he noticed that because they were neglecting their physical training so much, they became too weak to work on those pursuits. Therefore, he taught them several types of martial arts that eventually formed the base of Shaolin Kung Fu.
For so many thousands of years, it was considered foolish to talk about intellectual education without including physical training.
Yet, why follow such ideals in our modern day? How come the feeling here at Hopkins is that the Rec Center is only frequented by a few dedicated individuals?
Please note that this does not mean everyone should care about looking like those legendary Greek wrestlers. Some people’s body types and genetics make this an exceptionally difficult task. Fate has determined that not everyone can have the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rather, it is the activity of physical exercise in itself that leads to all the benefits that really matter.
Firstly, exercise will stimulate your mind far more than that extra Red Bull or Starbucks will. We have all seen those signs that seem to magically appear every so often on the Breezeway extolling how exercise has been scientifically proven to raise brain activity.
That extra hour of exercise will leave you more alert, full of energy and ready for that LinAlg or Orgo study marathon you are about to pursue for the rest of the night. It will make you more efficient, upbeat and energetic overall.
On the other hand, exercise is also a wonderful stress reliever. To put it simply, it feels good! Nothing clears your mind more than going for a half-hour or hour run that temporarily frees you from all the concerns and craziness of the world.
It is a truly liberating feeling that is rare to come by and yet so desperately needed in the stressful lives of college students. Exercise will, to put it bluntly, make you much happier.
Yet the benefits are not just in the present. If you begin exercising now, it sets a precedent for the rest of your life. Think about it — we are currently in the prime of our lives.
As we get older, our metabolism and available free time will be nearly non-existent and we will not have the convenience of having a gym nearby that takes five minutes to walk to, at most.
How can we expect to live a healthy exercise-filled lifestyle when we are 50 if we do not now when we are still young adults brimming with energy?
Getting into the habit now will make it easier for us to continue in the future, and therefore keep up a healthy lifestyle that will prove more and more important as time goes on.
Lastly, exercise can be fun and social. Exercise does not have to be a dreary solitary pursuit.
Rather, try going with a friend or two to the weight room or on a run. Or consider joining a recreational sports club — Hopkins offers a multitude of them, everything from basketball to martial arts to fitness classes and what not.
Many people feel exercising alone is boring, but when you do it with other people not only are you having a good time, but you are also gaining all the other benefits of exercise along the way. Rather than going out for a movie or a party one night, consider instead heading out to the Rec Center.
We are all busy students. However, I sincerely believe that in our modern day physical exercise has been a component that is missing from many students’ lives even though it is absolutely vital and extremely beneficial at this stage in life.
The paradox is that it is something that is so easily within our reach and capabilities and yet one of the things that so many people ignore and put off. Do not fall into that trap.
Go out and take charge of your own health and life.
